Zachariah and Elizabeth prayed for a child for decades without any answer (Luke 1:13). When finally God answers they’ve probably already given up. It was too late, they were too old for barring a child. Zachariah’s reaction proved that. They were godly people, yet bad things have happened to them and life didn’t turn out the way they’ve expected: there love were not bearing fruit and their prayers were not bringing results.

God’s will and timing most times doesn’t match with ours or with how we imagine and plan things. We struggle when God is mapping out things in our life the way we think it should not be mapping out. When we don’t understand what God is doing, we are questioning him, just as John the Baptist questioned Jesus: “are you the one?” (Luke 7). Jesus answered John’s struggle: “blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:22). When God doesn’t do things the way you are expecting him to do, are you offended by him? Or are you trusting in him.

God delights in doing the impossible. God delights in visiting us when we don’t expect him to visit us, like a barren woman who was too old to conceive (Luke 1:12). God delights in doing things in a way we don’t have control over. God delights in doing things when we don’t expect him to do it. God delights in doing things according to his timetable which absolutely different then ours. Is it too late for me to do what God wants to do through my life? Am I too old for a change? Zachariah thought so, that’s why he received God’s will with doubt. Are you doubting God’s invitation or being offended by Him?

God places and sends people where he wants, when he wants and how he wants. John the Baptits knew he was sent by God. He didn’t chose this for himself, God decided that for him before he was born. His position, calling, responsibility was given to him. When God invites us into his work, we have to give up control and fully be dependent on Him. He will demand evidences of that faith.

When God invites us into his work, people will not understand it and they don’t see God’s purposes and plans in our life. People didn’t understand John, nor Jesus. (Luke 7:33-35.) One was perceived demon-possessed, the other as a glutton and a drunkard. They both were misread, misunderstood and misrepresented by others while they both were in the middle of God’s will.

When you yourself don’t understand God’s calling, doing and timing in your life and it seems so questionable, just like it seemed to Zachariah; and when other’s don’t understand God’s plan in your life either, remember this:

1. God is God and we are not. He is always right and we are not.
2. God’s will is always perfect, good, taylormade and best for us.
3. God works in our life with his grace. Whatever he does, his grace is doing it for our best.
4. God’s work will rarely match our expectations, plans, desires and timetable.
5. We must trust in what God is doing and how he is doing it. It’s his ministry, his territory, his ownership.

When you don’t understand God, are you offended by Him? Blessed are you, if you are not!