In God's Time

"He has set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." 

-Ecclesiastes 3:11

Missionary Lilias Trotter wrote:  "We have to do with One who 'inhabiteth eternity' and works in its infinite leisure."  She illustrates this using this story:  "....a while back in the Canadian woods... a fir-forest was cut down, and the next spring the ground was covered with seedling oaks, though not an oak tree was in sight.  Unnumbered years before there must have been a struggle between the two trees, in which the first gained the day, but the acorns had kept safe their latent spark of life underground, and it broke out at the first chance."  She goes on to compare this to our faith:  "And if we refuse to stay our faith upon results that we can see and measure, and fasten it on God, He may be able to keep wonderful surprises wrapt away in what looks now only waste and loss.  What an upspringing there will be when heavenly light and air come to the world at last in the setting up of Christ's kingdom!"

We have a couple majestic oaks on our property.  Every year I find oak seedlings growing in places I would not expect, though.  In our case, it is the doing of the squirrels as they bury the acorns for later in my garden.  Lilias's story is a good reminder that while God has set eternity in our hearts we are not able to fathom all that He is capable of doing.  We cannot see what He sees nor know what He knows, so we must be patient as He works things out according to His plan.

I am grateful that God, who knows best, is in control.