11:59

11:59

"Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists." - Acts 12:7

"After midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God ... suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." -- Acts 16:25-26

God is NEVER late. He always shows up on time. His timetable is not necessarily the timetable that I want -- but He is precisely on time. Often I have found that He shows up at 11:59. Today's devotional from STREAMS IN THE DESERT" was timely and addresses this very issue:

"This is the way God works. In our DARKEST hour, He walks to us across the waves, just as an angel came to Peter's cell when the day of Peter's execution dawned. And when the scaffold was completed for Mordecai's execution, the king's sleeplessness ultimately led to his action favoring God's favored race (See Esther 6).

Dear soul, you may have to experience the very WORST before you are delivered, but YOU WILL BE DELIVERED! God may keep you waiting, but He will ALWAYS remember HIS promise and will appear IN TIME to fulfill His sacred Word that CANNOT be broken.

God has a simplicity about Him in working out HIS plans, and yet He possesses a resourcefulness equal to ANY difficulty. His faithfulness to His trusting children is unwavering, and He is steadfast in holding to His purpose. In Joseph's life, we see God work through a fellow prisoner, later through a dream, and finally through lifting Joseph from a prison to the position of governor. And the length of Joseph's prison stay gave him strength and steadiness he needed as governor.

IT IS ALWAYS SAFE TO TRUST GOD'S METHODS AND TO LIVE BY HIS CLOCK. God in His providence has a thousand keys to open a thousand different doors in order to deliver His own, no matter how desperate the situation may have become. May we be faithful to do our part, which is simply to suffer for Him, and to place Christ's part on Him and then LEAVE IT THERE!

Now my brothers, are you in the midst of a challenge and a difficult spot? Are you facing a situation where you are waiting for God to show up? Trust Him completely. He is NEVER late. His timetable is different -- but HE WILL SHOW UP RIGHT ON TIME -- it may be 11:59 -- but you can count on Him to be RIGHT ON TIME. -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

God's WORD for YOU: Proverbs 15; Isaiah 45-46; 1 Thessalonians 3

Think About This: In response to "I have difficulty praying." Why then, do you not try this? As you go to your inner chamber, however cold and dark your heart may be, do not try in your own might to force yourself into the right attitude. Bow before Him, and tell Him that He sees in what a sad state you are, and that your only hope is in Him. Trust Him, with a childlike trust, to have mercy upon you, and wait upon Him. In such a trust you are in a right relationship to Him. You have nothing - He has everything. -- Andrew Murray

Check out George Hutchison's latest STEWARDSHIP INSIGHT on our newest blog: http://keswickgeorge.blogspot.com/