It’s all in the Timing

Luke 19:42-44 (ESV) “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

A lot of you know that my wife Keira and I enjoy riding bicycles. We did some racing before moving from Seattle, but my actual race performance was sorely lacking any wins or outstanding performances. I trained hard. I read books. I sought advice and coaching from experts. I counted not just calories but grams of protein and carbohydrates. Yet, all that effort never translated to a measurable achievement when it really counted. Certainly part of any athletic performance is natural talent, but, in my case, more of it had to do with timing. On a hard bike ride, the person riding in the front of the pack is usually doing 30% more work blocking the wind for those behind. In my races, I was often in that position, using my energy reserves at times it did not help me or my teammates. As the now stronger peloton passed me by, there was usually a few seconds in which, if I was willing to suffer a little more pain to go a little harder for just a short time, I could have jumped onto the back of the group and possibly recovered to finish with a high placing. Yet, in those few seconds of hesitation, my opportunity was gone. I was alone in the wind with almost no hope of finishing well. It was just a few seconds, and I missed my chance.

Timing really matters in many other areas of life. Days can go by with no seeming or opportunity. Then a chance comes to make a difference, and, if you do not act quickly, you miss it. With the rate of change in the world today, recognizing and seizing opportunities is one of the greatest skills any of us can have.

Jesus’ words to the people of Jerusalem were a severe warning and a prophecy of their coming destruction because they did not recognize their opportunity to receive Jesus as their eternal king. Israel had their scriptures for over a thousand years, but the window of their Messiah’s visit was just three short years of public ministry. Some welcomed him. Most did not. The outcome of history is decided by those who respond when they have a chance. You may be in a season when you are open to considering your eternal destiny. You may sense God drawing you. Your decision to act now could chance the course of your future, your family’s future, and countless of other lives you will impact. Do not let the opportunity pass.