Good and Ready

"When are you going to get to fixing that broken door?" his wife asked him. "When I'm darned good and ready," was his answer. We're like that, aren't we? "When is God going to fix things?" When will He fix the war in Ukraine? Our national troubles? The whole COVID problem? The hardships of the poor? Cancer? My sore joints? The whole thing? We know He can and we know He ought to. We just want to know when. And God says, "When I'm good and ready."

The whole reason Jesus showed up on the scene, lived a sinless life, and died on the cross was because of this attitude we all have. Paul describes it this way. "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever" (Rom 1:25). We worship the creature. Primarily us. But God doesn't. We actually believe that God owes us. Oh, maybe not consciously. Maybe not audibly. But we feel it deep in our flesh. So we're not happy when God doesn't come through for us when we know He was supposed to.

Still, Scripture says (for instance), "The prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:15). Well, now, look. That's pretty comprehensive. It's a very straightforward "if-then." If: the prayer of faith; then: save the sick. So, we still ask, maybe now with a little humility, but, still, "When are You going to do that?" We've prayed. We've prayed in faith. We have trusted. It is promised. When? And God answers, "When I'm good and ready." When it is good to do so and when it is the right time to do so. And like children we are so impatient, aren't we? Maybe it's now. Maybe it's tomorrow. Maybe it's when we get to heaven. He will do it when it is good to do it and when it is the right time. So we have to ask ourselves, "Is that alright with you?"