God May Not Show Up Early, But He's Never Too Late

by Kevin Scott Collier
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Two summers ago, my family and I visited an evangelical church on occasion. Resurrection Life, an enthusiastic non-denominational church located just south of town, boasts a large band of singers and musicians that makes it a popular draw. Curious, we snuck on over. I heard more than a few sermons there, but I only remember one line from any of them.

“God never arrives early, but He never shows up too late," the Pastor said, passionately.

I will never forget that.

In these hard economic times, with a national unemployment rate at 8.1%, and my state of Michigan crawling toward 12%, we are challenged as a people. Michigan ranks #1 as the worst state economically of all 50. Surrounded by the magnificent Great Lakes, and internally holding a recreational paradise, appearances are deciving. We are in dire straits here.

Too often I have experienced what the Pastor said. The Lord doesn’t show up at the beginning of a disaster, He tends to appear when it seems all hope is lost.

Remember that Jesus wasn't rescued before he was nailed to the cross. No one pulled Jesus down from the cross and nursed him back to health. Jesus was only saved through sacrifice. Only when it seemed that all was lost, in the natural, did God raise his Son and bless us who trust in Him with eternal salvation.

There have been times in my life when I have felt as if I hanging off the edge of a cliff. Then, a hand broke free, and I was holding on by just one. Then, my fingers slowly lost grip. Soon, I was hanging off the edge of the cliff by just one finger. But, I held on, and held on. The pain was excruciating. Even when I thought, It would be easier to just to let go, I put all of my earthly strength into that one finger and held on.

Do you know what happened?

Just before the last drop of strength drained from my body, the Lord took hold of my hand and pulled me up. My faith in Him, and trust, sparked God’s awesome deliverance power. The difference between me falling and being saved was knowing that God would show up. He wasn't going to let me fall. He never will, as long as I hold on.

God didn’t show up when I had both hands on the ledge. He wasn't going to show up when I physically still had a chance to save myself. He showed up when it seemed all was lost.

God is not an opportunistic "bailout" program. God is an investment with insured returns. When you invest in God, you will prosper, personally and provisionally. I lost over $10,000 in my 401k retirement account since last fall. But, my retirement home is a place called Heaven. You cannot buy your way into there. You can only gain entry through the blood of our precious savior, Jesus Christ. Life is smattered with liabilities, but God is our only true asset. I may not be wealthy man, but I am rich man in the Name Of Jesus.

It's not the fall from the cliff that will result in your demise. It will be from a profound fall from grace. When you let go in life, you are letting go of God. Trust in Him. He may not show up early, but when you put your faith in Him completely, he will never show up too late.