Should You Not Trust God's Perfect Timing in Your Life? ⋆ Effie Darlene Barba %

Unfortunately, we often want God to sign onto our plans and on our timing. However, even concerning His promises. The ones we are certain are a part of His plan, we must wait. Normally, we are not good at waiting. In fact we are bad, which is why we must grow in faith so that we learn to trust God’s Perfect Timing in our lives.

Abraham was 75 years old and childless when God promised him, he would be a father of many nations. The world would be blessed through him. This despite his not having any children at that time. Then, it was another 24 years before Isaac was born. During that time, God continued to grow his faith. Throughout scripture, we see this. God Promises, humans don’t wait, thinking they know better how to accomplish things. Things get messed up. Why do we not trust His word? After all, everything He has said throughout generations has come true or are yet to be accomplished.

This is the case in point as we look at Isaiah 18-20. God told Judah not to make alliances with other countries. They made an alliance with Assyria to help against Syria and Israel. Then when Assyria turned against them, they tried reached out to Ethiopia (Cush) for a new alliance. This instead of waiting on and trusting God. During Isaiah’s Day the Twenty-fifth Ethiopian Dynasty that also controlled Egypt.

With assistance of AI, found this. “The 25th Dynasty of Egypt, often referred to as the Cushite Dynasty, was a significant period in ancient Egyptian history. It lasted from approximately 747 BC to 656 BC and was marked by the rule of pharaohs from the Kingdom of Kush, located in present-day Sudan.”

Trust God’s Perfect Timing

Woe to the land shadowed with buzzing wings,

Which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

Which sends ambassadors by sea,

Even in vessels of reed on the waters, saying,

“Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth of skin,

To a people terrible from their beginning onward,

A nation powerful and treading down,

Whose land the rivers divide.” Isaiah 18:1-2 NKJV

There are varying interpretations of the land shadowed with buzzing wings; however, this may be most logical. Their King was very powerful and in Egyptian hierographic is depicted as an Eagle with its wings overshadowing Egypt. They were sea farers with many ships as noted in the vessels of reed on the waters. The Egyptians were known for shaving their entire body, thus the messengers to a nation tall and smooth. This because the Empire had adopted much of the Egyptian customs. They were considered a mighty and fierce nation.

They were a nation that came onto the scene quickly, but God chose to wait until they reached their peak of power.

But God Awaits His Perfect Timing

Hezekiah had wanted to make an alliance with the Cushite King during the time of Sennacharib; however, God waited. God defeated Sennacharib when he attempted to invade Israel. Later it was Assyria that drove the Kushite out of Egypt. Careful who you make friends with. It is better to Trust God’s Perfect timing.

All inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth:

When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you see it;

And when he blows a trumpet, you hear it.

For so the Lord said to me,

“I will take My rest,

And I will ^[^b^]look from My dwelling place

Like clear heat in sunshine,

Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.”

For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect

And the sour grape is ripening in the flower,

He will both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks

And take away and cut down the branches.

They will be left together for the mountain birds of prey

And for the beasts of the earth;

The birds of prey will summer on them,

And all the beasts of the earth will winter on them. Isaiah 18: 3-6 NKJV

Very poetic way of saying this. So let me paraphrase it a bit. Everyone, listen up, when God lifts His banner, you will see it. When He determines it is time and blows His trumpet, you will hear it. But for the moment, He has determined to “take a rest” while watching from heaven. At just the right moment, when they reach their height, they will be torn down. They will become the ones preyed upon.

And it happened just as God said.

But Again, Trust God’s Perfect Timing

One day they too (a remnant thereof) will bow before the Almighty in the Millennial Reign of Christ.

In that time a present will be brought to the Lord of hosts

From a people tall and smooth of skin,

And from a people terrible from their beginning onward,

A nation powerful and treading down,

Whose land the rivers divide—

To the place of the name of the Lord of hosts,

To Mount Zion. Isaiah 18:7 NKJV

And What about Egypt? Can they trust God’s Perfect timing as well?

The burden against Egypt.

Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud,
And will come into Egypt;
The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence,
And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians;
Everyone will fight against his brother,
And everyone against his neighbor,
City against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst;
I will destroy their counsel,
And they will consult the idols and the charmers,
The mediums and the sorcerers. And the Egyptians I will give
Into the hand of a cruel master,
And a fierce king will rule over them,”
Says the Lord, the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 19:1-4

Now if we look at Benson’s Commentary, there is a description of a near fulfillment of the prophecy.

“Not many years after the destruction of Sennacherib’s army before Jerusalem, by which the Egyptians were freed from the yoke with which they were threatened by so powerful an enemy, who had carried on a successful war of three years’ continuance against them, the affairs of Egypt were again thrown into confusion by intestine broils among themselves, which ended in a perfect anarchy that lasted some years. This was followed by an aristocracy, or rather tyranny, of twelve princes, who divided the country between them, and at last by the sole dominion of Psammitichus, which he held for fifty-four years. Not long after that, followed the invasion and conquest of Egypt by Nebuchadnezzar; and then by the Persians under Cambyses, the son of Cyrus. The yoke of the Persians was so grievous, that the conquest of the Persians by Alexander may well be considered as a deliverance to Egypt; especially as he and his successors greatly favoured the people, and improved the country. To all these events the prophet seems to have had a view in this chapter;” which contains the fifth discourse of the second part of Isaiah’s prophecies, delivered at another time, and much later than the preceding, and copiously setting forth the fate of Egypt, a nation, from the remotest antiquity, famous in the East. _{Benson Commentary, Bible Hub accessed 10/17/2026.} _{https://biblehub.com/commentaries/isaiah/19-1.htm}

But note: There appears a reference to a far fulfillment as well. Whom will God give them over to in the future? Well, it will be the anti-Christ. As we will see in the next few verses the water of the Nile had never been a problem either, until more recently. So there are stages in the fulfillment of these prophecies as we have seen in others.

The Dams Along the Nile have played havoc on Egypt

We can watch in real time the fulfillment of the next verses

The waters will fail from the sea,

And the river will be wasted and dried up.

The rivers will turn foul;

The brooks of defense will be emptied and dried up;

The reeds and rushes will wither.

The papyrus reeds by the River, by the mouth of the River,

And everything sown by the River,

Will wither, be driven away, and be no more.

The fishermen also will mourn;

All those will lament who cast hooks into the River,

And they will languish who spread nets on the waters.

Moreover those who work in fine flax

And those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed;

And its foundations will be broken.

All who make wages will be troubled of soul.

Surely the princes of Zoan are fools;

Pharaoh’s wise counselors give foolish counsel.

How do you say to Pharaoh, “I am the son of the wise,

The son of ancient kings?”

Where are they?

Where are your wise men?

Let them tell you now,

And let them know what the Lord of hosts has purposed against Egypt.

The princes of Zoan have become fools;

The princes of Noph are deceived;

They have also deluded Egypt,

Those who are the mainstay of its tribes.

The Lord has mingled a perverse spirit in her midst;

And they have caused Egypt to err in all her work,

As a drunken man staggers in his vomit.

Neither will there be any work for Egypt,

Which the head or tail,

Palm branch or bulrush, may do.

In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has determined against it. Isaiah 19:5-17 NKJV

3 dams have been constructed along the Nile, ultimately causing havoc to agriculture and fishing industries. The first was the Aswan Low Dam in 1902. The second was the Aswan High Dam completed in 1970. The third was completed in 2025 as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam which supplies hydro energy to Ethiopia.

Over the years, various dams, including the Aswan High Dam, have been constructed to manage floodwaters and generate hydroelectric power, but these projects have also led to negative consequences, such as the spread of waterborne diseases and salinization of agricultural lands. The increasing population in the Nile Basin has exacerbated water shortages, with countries like Egypt projected to face severe water scarcity by 2025. International collaborations, such as the Nile Basin Initiative, aim to address these challenges and promote equitable distribution of the river’s resources. Overall, the Nile River embodies a complex interplay of environmental health, human needs, and geopolitical tensions, highlighting the urgency for sustainable management of this vital waterway. Environmental Health of the Nile River, https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/consumer-health/environmental-health-nile-river/

Yet, Isaiah foretold of this in the 700s BC. God does not accomplish things on our time. In this case, He watched and let man’s need for power and energy do the work themselves.

We Can Certainly Trust God’s Perfect Timing

Note the theme here. God will punish His own. It is evident He will punish Israel as a nation and has. But will redeem them. He also plays a major role in punishing those who have wronged Israel. It is like you have a child, and someone else steps in to punish your child or draw them astray. You will get in their face and pretty quickly. Your job is to discipline your own and to protect them from others. God sees Israel has His. He refers to Israel as the “apple of His eye”

“Up, up! Flee from the land of the north,” says the Lord; “for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven,” says the Lord. “Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon.” For thus says the Lord of hosts: “He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. For surely I will shake My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,” says the Lord. “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you. And the Lord will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He is aroused from His holy habitation!” Zechariah 2:5-13 NKJV

Best we are not the one poking the eye of God. He will punish His own.

Trust God’s Perfect Timing in His Grace as Well

The same as God remembers the bad. He remembers to reward those who helped. Remember when the Pharoah of Egypt took in Joseph and later his family to protect them. There was a time that Assyria also helped Israel though brief. Furthermore, God promised Abraham that there would be some of Ishmael’s descendants rewarded.

Therefore, in the future Millenial Reign of Christ

In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan (HEBREW) and swear by the Lord of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” Isaiah 19: 18-25 NKJV

Then we step back to Trust the Perfect Timing of God

Isaiah 20 gives a closeup view of what was to come first in these series of events.

In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, at the same time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, “Go, and remove the sackcloth from your [b]body, and take your sandals off your feet.” And he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, “Just as My servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and a wonder against Egypt and Ethiopia, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians as prisoners and the Ethiopians as captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt. Then they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this territory will say in that day, ‘Surely such is our expectation, wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape?’ ” Isaiah 20:1-6 NKJV

Why in this order? Because when the Israelite nation saw this fulfilled. Immediately, they should have known the rest would as well. That is to verify they can trust God’s Perfect Timing. So can we.

In the fullness of time, Jesus came, born of a virgin, to walk this earth. He suffered rejection, pain, sorrow, and hunger. Then, ultimately the full wrath of God the Father, The wrath poured out without the comfort of the Holy Spirit. He did all this to pay the penalty for our sin. Then on the third day, He arose from the dead, victorious for us. How can we not trust Him with all the minute details of our lives.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. I urge you to seek Him today.

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Check out my other website about the inspiration behind each song at Effie Darlene Barba, Songwriter and Poet

How to Put God First When Life Feels Absolutely Overwhelming

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. That is except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR. Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Please note: This Post only has quotes from the KJV Bible except where otherwise indicated

¹ J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)

BSB (BEREAN STUDY BIBLE)

The Berean Bible and Majority Bible texts are officially dedicated to the public domain as of April 30, 2023.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Common English Bible (CEB)

Photo taken by Effie Darlene Barba