3 Ways God’s Timing is Perfect

Have you ever felt impatient with God’s timing? Felt like He’s taking forever to answer your prayers? If so, you’re not alone! In this post, we’ll explore why God’s timing is perfect, and how to wait patiently on Him.

God's timing is perfect

{ This post and the photos within it contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking an affiliate link, my ministry gets a small commission, with no extra cost to you. See my full disclosures HERE. }

”God’s timing is always perfect.” I’ve heard that one countless times in my life. But is it really true? What does “perfect” even mean in this context?

So many dreams in my life have yet to come to fruition. I’m 35 and still single as ever. I’ve prayed for career success, business success, asked God what is my purpose, and been met with failure after failure. Where is this perfect timing?

Surely I’m not the only one with dreams deferred. Have you been there too?

God has been teaching me a lot on this subject lately, and there are three things I’ve learned that I want to share with you today. So wherever you’re at, whatever miracles you’re still waiting to receive, I pray these truths will help you on your journey.

God's timing - Bible journal

3 Ways God’s Timing Is Always Perfect

1) God is patient with us!

I’ve always thought that I was the one who had to wait patiently on God. And this is still true! But, I’ve learned that in reality, it’s more like God is waiting patiently on us. 2 Peter 3:8-9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

So, if you struggle with how to be patient when God makes you wait, just remember how patient He is with YOU. When I think of how often I drag my feet, make mistakes, choose selfishly, and so forth, it’s quite marvelous that God hasn’t given up on me yet! And I know He hasn’t given up on you either.

2) God waits until the right time (not too soon, not too late)

Here is some amazing advice… I can’t remember who said it, but they used a great metaphor about receiving a package at your home: Some things require a signature, to be delivered. And likewise, some blessings and answers to prayer require “spiritual address” before God will deliver them to you. In other words, you need to cultivate an ever-closer relationship with God, becoming who He wants you to be, so you’ll be able to handle the blessings you’ve been asking for.

Again, like 2 Peter 3:8-9 says, it’s not that God is slow or withholding things from us, but he is being patient with us and waiting until the appropriate time when we’re ready to receive the blessing, calling, responsibility, etc.

And I’ve definitely seen this in my own life… case in point, this very blog. I consider this to be my calling—helping others grow their faith through creativity—but I certainly wasn’t ready for it 13 years ago! I had to go through some waiting and frustrations, to become spiritually mature, before I could share what I’ve learned (and what I continue to learn) with you.

3) God works everything for our good!

Romans 8:28 is key to understanding God’s plan for our lives. It says that God “works all things for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose”. Many times in our lives, it may seem like God’s timing is terrible, He’s not acting soon enough, fast enough, or in the ways we expect. But one thing we can count on: He has our best interests at heart. He wants us to be freed from the grip of sin…to develop a close relationship with Him…to experience the blessings of His love, and the joys of loving our neighbors. And, in order to do that, He allows us to walk through some tough seasons. We have to learn to wait patiently for His perfect timing, and to TRUST HIM.

At the end of 2 Peter 3, in verse 18, we’re instructed to“grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Truly, while we wait on God’s will for our lives to unfold, our job is to keep our eyes on Jesus.

waiting on God to answer a prayer

Benefits of Waiting Upon the Lord

”But, it’s still so hard to be patient” you say. I totally agree! It’s tough. If I could go back in time and tell my 22-year-old college graduate self to “just be patient”, and oh, by the way, it’ll take more than a decade before you’ll even get close to figuring out your purpose, she would probably slap me LOL! However, there ARE plenty of benefits to waiting on God…

  • When we wait for the Lord’s guidance (instead of acting foolishly), we can avoid getting into situations that are not good for us. I do believe there are consequences of not waiting on God…and getting into trouble is one.
  • When we wait on God to answer a prayer, we can more fully appreciate that answer when it comes. Can you imagine the celebration and praise fest, after 20 years of waiting, versus after only 20 days or weeks? Epic!
  • When we wait for God to act, when that thing finally does come to pass we KNOW it was HIS DOING and not our own. He gets the glory! Praise the Lord!
  • When we wait for (and watch) His perfect plan unfold, we find that we’re actually way better off than if God had given us exactly what we (thought) we wanted when we wanted it. Just remember this: Life is messy (because, let’s face it, we humans are a mess!), but God has ultimate control and His plans are perfect!
  • The Bible Journal: God’s Timing is Always Right!

    Does any of this strike a chord with you? I do hope and pray that you leave here with a better understanding of God’s timing than you had before.

    God’s timing is perfect – Bible journaling

    God’s timing is always right – Bible journaling

    For this Bible journal, I used my Illustrating Bible, which has extra-wide margins!

    If you’d like to do your own Bible journal entry on 2 Peter 3, I encourage you to use whatever supplies you have, or whatever strikes your fancy. But if you’re interested in doing metallic lettering like I did, I highly recommend using Finetec metallic watercolors!

    Of all the metallic products I’ve tried (colored pencils, brush markers, etc.), these watercolors produce the richest and most beautiful metallic shine! Some colors, like the pale gold that I used in the clock background, are lighter. And others, like the ones I used for my lettering, are super-rich and heavily pigmented. Either way, they’re a blast to work with. You can get them on Amazon (as a 12-piece color set, or six-piece color set), or at Blick Art Materials (at Blick, you can find all of the multi-color sets, and you can even buy individual colors!).

    Where have you seen God’s perfect timing play out in your life? Are there some areas that you have more difficulty waiting on/trusting in him? I’d love to hear your story. 🙂

8 thoughts on “3 Ways God’s Timing is Perfect”

  1. Sometimes, I hate hearing people say that, “God’s timing is perfect” when I have been waiting and waiting and waiting…I have struggled with patience my entire life! But, His timing is just that-perfect! There have been things I have prayed for, for many years and when I finally see fulfillment of that, I am just in awe at how perfect His timing was. All these little things had to fall perfectly in place for it to work out the way it did and it always works out way better than I hoped for!

    1. I agree, it’s the waiting that’s the hardest thing. But, when we see God bring things together for our good, it’ll all be worth it!

  2. Perfect you really hit on so many points that other missed when seeking information on God’s timing!
    Especially the part about Him being patient with us, I hadn’t thought about that lately. He is always very patient and faithful to us, but yet we get upset when he isn’t moving fast enough for our liking.

    1. So true, we may not realize how ridiculously impatient we’re being, in comparison to how patient He is with us. I often repeat Psalm 27:14 to myself for that reason (“wait for the Lord…be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord”)

  3. Thank you for sharing such wisdom from experience and God’s word. I was looking for the right words to share and not only will it bless her, but it has surly blessed me as well. May the Lord continue to bless you richly.

  4. kebirungi Monica

    wow I am struck by how you simply explain Gods patience towards us. I am so humbled by Gods patience and faithfulness. I receive grace to wait thankfully. to our God be glorious praise forever and ever.

Leave a Reply to Pamela Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top