Determined Times & Places

“ … he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live … ”

(Acts 17:26, NIV)

Growing up and in my younger years, I always felt like I had been born out of time, born too late as it were.  I felt that living in an earlier generation would have been much more to my likings and leanings.  One of my passions, in those days, was reading and thereby somehow experiencing the early frontier days. What adventures were had!

Now that I am older and sunset is on a coming horizon, I feel just the opposite. As I look to the future, what is emerging out of the Church, and the mindset of the coming generation, I again feel out of place and out of time. Something inside of me cries out to be part of what is coming and to be among those who will live there. There is a cry in my heart that says, “these are my people and my time is yet to come.”

But reality has always and will continue to play out differently in my life. I am only part of a past generation in how it has influenced me, and I’ll only be part of a future generation in how I have influenced it. My life must be lived out in this generation, in this place, and at this time. God’s Word says:

“ … he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him … “

(Acts 17:26-27, NIV)

Now we can take this to only mean that God determined beforehand where the different nations would live and the types of governments they would have, or we can bring a much more personal application that says God has determined beforehand at which precise time each of us would live and where we would live, based upon the knowledge that this would be the time and place where we would seek and find Him, and accomplish His purpose for our lives.

The personal application brings much more security and certainty to my life. I am not a random egg that happened to get fertilized. God actually put thought and planning into my existence and just as there is a genetic pattern as to who I am, there is also a divine pattern not only as to who I am, but also as to where I am and what my purpose is.

Let’s determine to live in the here and now, knowing this is where God has placed us, and it is He who will blossom us. This is our time, our generation, our place, and our adventure. 

 

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for us!  (Ps 138:8a, NIV)