Beyond The 11th Hour Lives a 4th Day God



Over the years I have often found myself repeating these same words:
We are in a tough spot again...


Christians so often reference the 11th hour, when our last-minute God seems to miraculously show up, not in our timing, but in his, so the saying goes. But what happens when he doesn't show up? What about those times when the thing we were sure he would not allow to happen actually DOES? 

I recently received the following text from a close friend:



And this is only one of several difficult things happening in their lives. 

Last night I sat in a sermon, where my Pastor, Ed Newton, was talking about the 11:59 mark - but have hope, he said, because 12:01 is coming! 

We are in a tough spot again... 

He asked, who in the crowd are in an 11:59 moment? Raise your hands. Of course, I did. We are there! He spoke a word over the crowd, a prophetic word I believe, that 12:01 is coming. The dark night of the soul is almost over and a new day is about to dawn. Do you know how badly I want that word to be for us...for me? I am weary. I am losing hope. I just wrote in my prayer journal this morning that just a month ago I took several steps of faith that I thought God was prompting me to take, and not one of them has produced fruit that I can see. In fact, one of them was so fruitless, it was almost damaging. I got hurt when I thought I was being obedient by stepping out in boldness. A month ago I was in church singing my heart out, believing that God was on the move in my life, that he was speaking to me and that I could trust not only in what he was saying, but in what I was hearing. The last two weeks, I have shown up at church wondering if he is hearing me at all. The result of me stepping out has been an apparent failure. OR, maybe I am not hearing him clearly. So you see why I question if Pastor Ed's prophetic statement is for me. Maybe it's not. It is very possible that God has me in a deeper, longer and more painful season. Was Pastor Ed wrong? No! For many the 11th hour, or the 11:59 mark, is true. But for some it is not, no matter how much faith we have. Children die, divorce happens, dreams die, Messiah's go to the cross when we thought they were here to rescue from oppression, the Lazurus' of this world happen, and the Mary and Martha's of this world wonder, where were you! Why didn't you come when we called? HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?

Let me tell you, sometimes not even 12:01 is in his timing. Beyond the 11th Hour Lives a 4th day GOD who works things out for our good, but ultimately for his glory. I wrote the following as a Facebook post 10 years ago. I am not preaching this for you, I am preaching this for me. Today, I am the one that needs to hear this. 

We have the comfort of knowing that our God is able to do more than we can ask or even imagine. In the midst of our personal crisis God has given me this word of comfort: February 2015 I sat under a teacher asking the question "What Happens when God doesn't show up?" The Bible passage was Mary, Martha and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. I was reminded that, from Mary and Martha's perspective, Jesus waited to answer the call to come until after Lazarus has been dead 4 days - beyond the 3 days the Jews traditionally believed the Spirit of a man hovered over the body. Jesus did not spare Mary and Martha from the appearance and subsequent anguish that all had been lost. And yet, he did come and his timing was perfect - in order to perfectly Glorify God the Father. The word I received to comfort me was "So I will not spare you either from this anguish of appearing that all is lost and the end has come. But fear not, I am with you ALWAYS." So I have ceased referring to him as an 11th hour God and starting calling on Him as my 4th day God whose timing and purpose is far beyond what I can comprehend. Soli Deo Gloria!

 


Location: San Antonio, TX, USA

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