In the Fullness of Time

Some folks thrive with living by the clock. I'm not so much one of them.
Preferred or not, most of us have learned to live with daily constraints that keep our eyes on what time it is, how much time we have left, how much time until, or how behind time we're going to be.
Few folks have the pleasure of living "on their own time" and doing as they please without notice of the clock. Even if I tried this, my disregard for time would soon impact someone else negatively.

One of the most difficult lessons to be learned about time is to wait, delaying receipt of whatever we want until "the right time." We want what we want when we want it! We deserve it and need it and have to have it (whatever "it" is) now.

As we gathered today before lunch to open presents, I reminded my grandchildren that when I was at my granny's back in the day, we had to wait until after lunch to open presents. I tried to announce (in fun) that we would do that today...to no avail. Delaying gratification is not something that comes easily to children.

Our Heavenly Father, however, is not bound by our impatience and self-indulgence. He does what is best..not what is expedient for the moment. It pleased God to wait hundreds of years from the time in Genesis 3:15, when the world first needed a promised Savior, until that promise was satisfied at the birth of the Christ child. It pleased God to reveal more and more about the coming Messiah until finally His birth, life, death and resurrection fulfilled over 350 Old Testament prophecies (http://www.accordingtothescriptures.org/prophecy/353prophecies.html).

God waited...waited...waited until He was sure "the right time came" (Galatians 4:4, NLT). Another translation says: "But when the set time had fully come" (Galatians 4:4, NIV).

His appearance was not early, it was not late, but it was right on time! "But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his son..." (Gal. 4:4, KJV).