God's Tempo

Sunday, June 13, 2010

One of my favorite family vacations when I was a little girl was to Callaway Gardens. I experienced the thrill of life under the big top watching the “Flying High” Circus show. I was mesmerized by the skill of the swinging trapeze artists as they executed their dynamic tricks swinging from bar to bar. Their movements required precise timing and made me gasp and then “ooh” and “ahh!” These artists knew the art of synchronization.

What does it mean to be synchronized? Synchronization is a timekeeping mechanism that keeps a system in unison. The conductor of an orchestra serves to keep the orchestra in time. If the orchestra goes faster than the conductor, the two systems are not in sync. The orchestra will finish before the conductor if the two systems don’t work together on their pace.

In our spiritual life we need to practice synchronization too. We need to be in sync with God’s tempo. God is our conductor who serves to keep our body, mind, and spirit in time. Our lives function best when they’re lived in God’s rhythm. God’s rhythm is seen in his pattern of growth and rest. To create his masterpiece, God spent six days working and then had a day of rest. God’s rhythm often requires us to slow down in order to get in sync with him.

The big challenge is to get our rhythm in sync with God’s. Sometimes musicians use a metronome in order to establish a consistent tempo. A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical beats. These ticks represent a fixed pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion like a pendulum or a swing. What can be use as our spiritual metronome? What can we do to understand and get in rhythm with God?

We can observe the tempo of God’s creation. Listen to the melodies of the birds, frogs, crickets, and cicadas. Take note of the steady rhythm of their songs. We see his rhythm in the consistent rise and fall of the ocean tide and in the dependable rising and setting of the sun. God created nature to move in these predictable and steady beats. He created us to follow his steady beat also.

God’s beat is found in his Word and through communication with him. Scripture tells us the pace we are to live.

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.” (James 1:19 & 20)

He orders our steps at his pace. He directs our paths at his pace. He leads us by the way we should go at his pace. He teaches us the way to go at his pace. He guides us continually at his pace.

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord … ”(Psalm 37:23)

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5)

“I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go.” (Isaiah 48:17)

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way should go; I will guide you with My eye.” (Psalm 32:8)

“For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death.” (Psalm 48:14)

“The Lord will guide you continually …” (Isaiah 58:11)

God makes everything beautiful in his time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) Let's find his tempo.