God's Perfect Timing

This was part of my Bible reading last night and it really made me think about God's timing:

2 Kings 8:1-2

Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought back to life, “Take your family and move to some other place, for the Lord has called for a famine on Israel that will last for seven years.” 2 So the woman did as the man of God instructed. She took her family and settled in the land of the Philistines for seven years.
3 After the famine ended she returned from the land of the Philistines, and she went to see the king about getting back her house and land. 4 As she came in, the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God. The king had just said, “Tell me some stories about the great things Elisha has done.” 5 And Gehazi was telling the king about the time Elisha had brought a boy back to life. At that very moment, the mother of the boy walked in to make her appeal to the king about her house and land.
“Look, my lord the king!” Gehazi exclaimed. “Here is the woman now, and this is her son—the very one Elisha brought back to life!”
6 “Is this true?” the king asked her. And she told him the story. So he directed one of his officials to see that everything she had lost was restored to her, including the value of any crops that had been harvested during her absence.

This woman has been through the wringer! You can read the backstory here: 2 Kings 4:8-37. She nearly lost her son, had to flee her home and lived in exile for many years.

Yet, even while living in exile, God was with her! What must it have felt like for her to be away from her home, believing she had lost everything but her son. I'm sure her boy was cherished beyond words! But, how could she provide for him? What kind of security or future could she offer him? Just when all seems lost, she makes one final plea.

At precisely that moment, God ordained that Gahazi and the King would be talking about her and the miraculous event that surely was legendary in their region; the restoration of her son's life by God through Elisha. The king was so impressed he returned her property and all of its profits to this woman. This is a great reminder to me that God is actively involved in my life, even when I don't see Him at work.

This woman had all of her security taken from her, had to flee what she knew and abide in the unknown. How many times had she cried out to God while in the midst of her dire circumstances? Did she sometimes think God was not listening? That he had abandoned her? Boy, I can relate! Yet, we see that He had a plan for her life the entire time! Just because we don't see Him - and maybe even don't feel Him - doesn't mean He doesn't care. He will reveal Himself when the time is right. Man. God is so cool!