We all have things we want to see accomplished, but God's timing often doesn't match our own. These quotes about God's timing remind us that we must be patient and cultivate a long view in life.
If there is one thing we know for certain about God, he is a God of timing. No accidents or things can happen that will catch him off guard. He sees and knows everything that will happen, and his timing to intervene and come through for you is impeccable. He is never too early and never too late, even though it doesn’t always feel that way. While we struggle to discern his timing, we know he will show up at the right time. To encourage you along what can sometimes be a nerve-wracking journey, here are 50 God’s timing quotes.
10 Bible Quotes about God’s Timing
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
“He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.’” (Acts 1:7)
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” (1 Peter 5:6)
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
“But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me.” (Psalm 31:14-15)
“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:25-26 NKJV)
“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” (Isaiah 46:10)
“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 18:30)
15 Classic Christian Quotes about God’s Timing
As we consider some classic Christian quotes about God’s timing allow me to share with you quotes from some of the great servants of God we have known through history.
Classic God’s Timing Quotes from Charles Spurgeon
“Mercy may seem slow, but it is sure. The Lord in his unfailing wisdom has appointed a time for the outgoings of his gracious power, and God’s time is the best time.”
“Wait in prayer. Call on God and spread the case before him. Express your unstaggering confidence in him. Wait in faith, for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is but an insult to the Lord. Believe that if he shall keep you waiting even till midnight, yet he will come at the right time. Wait in quiet patience, not murmuring because you are under affliction, but blessing God for it.”
“Anything other than God’s plan carried out in God’s way and in God’s timing amounts to self-reliance.”
“God is too good to be unkind. Too wise to be mistaken; and when you cannot trace his hand you can trust his heart.”
“He who counts the stars and calls them by their names is in no danger of forgetting his own children.”
“To trust God in the light is nothing but trust him in the dark. That is faith.”
“We shall not grow weary of waiting upon God if we remember how long and how graciously he once waited for us.”
Classic God’s Timing Quotes from Billy Graham
“Never forget that God isn’t bound by time the way we are.”
“Many times I have been driven to prayer. When I was in Bible school I didn’t know what to do with my life. I used to walk the streets ... and pray, sometimes for hours at a time. In His timing, God answered those prayers, and since then prayer has been an essential part of my life.”
Classic God’s Timing Quotes from Elisabeth Elliott
“To love God is to love His will. It is to wait quietly for life to be measured by One who knows us through and through. It is to be content with His timing and His wise appointment.”
“Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about if whenever it intrudes on one’s thoughts.”
Classic God’s Timing Quotes from Other Christians
“Our opportunities are in God’s hand…and therefore he knows how to choose the best and fittest time for our deliverance, and we must be willing to wait that time.”—Matthew Henry Commentary on Psalm 31:15
“God never made a promise that was too good to be true.”—D.L. Moody
“When God brings a time of waiting, and appears to be unresponsive, don’t fill it with busyness, just wait.”—Oswald Chambers
“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.”—A.W. Tozer
15 Modern Christian Quotes about God’s Timing
“God is intentional. If you feel as though He has somehow failed you or forgotten about you, trust and believe that His timing is perfect.”—Germany Kent
“When we come to a place where we trust that God’s timing is perfect, we can be content no matter where we are because we know that God will not leave us there forever. Maintaining a passion for the present means embracing the light we have where we are at this time and trusting that it is enough.”—Stormie Omartian
“I believe that God will give us all the strength we need to help us to resist in all times of distress. But he never gives it in advance, lest we should rely on ourselves and not on him alone.”—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Just because I had the resources and a good idea didn’t mean the timing was right. I was operating on Nick’s time instead of God’s.”—Nick Vujicic
“When we are unduly impatient with an omniscient God’s timing, we really are suggesting that we know what’s best. Strange isn’t it-we who wear wrist watches seek to counsel Him who oversees cosmic clocks and calendars.”—Neal A. Maxwell
"His timing is perfect, but it is rarely ours: “For a thousand years in [his] sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (Psalm 90:4). At the global level, he sets the times for nations to rise and fall (Acts 17:26). And at the personal level, “My times are in [his] hand” (Psalm 31:15)." - John Piper
“I needed to do my current job well, keep preparing, and wait on God’s timing. I needed to trust His leadership rather than try to force an outcome I wanted.”—Tony Dungy
“Every talent you have is not wasted. It is there because of a reason and God will open that door when the right time comes along to use it.”—Shannon L. Alder
“When you think about the success you desire, don’t forget that God’s “not yet” doesn’t mean ‘not ever.’”—Tiffany L. Jackson
“Sometimes we have to let our dreams go in order to allow God to bring them back to us - in his way and his timing.”—Melody Carlson
“Trust hangs somewhere between knowing what your heart longs for and trying to dictate the shape or timing or outcome of your heart’s desire. It lies in the willingness to accept the particulars of how and when and where God chooses to intervene. It waits in the cool shade of surrender.”—Paula Rinehart
“You and I face a huge question: Do we trust God to do in his own timing what only he can do?” –Christine Caine
“Sometimes arriving too quickly is detrimental. It is dangerous to arrive without our character mature or intact.”—Lisa Bevere
“Trust in God’s timing. It’s better to wait a while and have things fall into place, than to rush and have things fall apart.”—Adam Cappa
“With God, there’s always an appointed time for things, and when you put Him first, trust in His timing, and keep the faith, miracles happen!”—Germany Kent
10 Prayers for Remembering God’s Timing
Sometimes prayers are not necessarily long but short heartfelt cries that express your need for God at that moment. One of the shortest prayers ever prayed in the Bible was by Peter when he was sinking in the water. He cried out, “help!” That was a prayer. With that in mind, here are ten one-sentence prayers you can pray as you are waiting for and remembering God’s timing.
Lord, give me patience in this hour as I wait for you, knowing you have heard my prayer.
Lord, this road is a little unsettling, and I cannot see how it will all work out, so help me trust that you will not fail me.
Lord, I thank you that the answer is on the way, even though I don’t know which direction it is coming from.
Lord, you have promised to take care of the lilies and the sparrows, so I rest in you, knowing you will take care of me as well.
Lord, help me not run ahead and try to fix it but give you time to move.
Lord, I am tired, and this is taking so long, so give me strength, so I don’t give up.
Lord, when I am uncertain about what you are doing, help me remember that you have always been faithful and will do what you promised.
Lord, thank you that your promises are yes and amen, which means your timing is also yes and amen.
Lord, thank you that your faithfulness to me is not solely dependent on my faithfulness to you, but you see my weakness and still come through as you have promised.
Lord, thank you for who you are, and help me to rest knowing you will do just as you have said.
Further Reading:
25 Inspirational Christian Quotes
50 Inspiring Quotes about Prayer for Today
25 Inspiring C. S. Lewis Quotes That Shaped My Faith
Photo Credit: Getty Images/INDU BACHKHETI
