God Exalts at the Proper Time

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time,” 1 Peter 5:6 NASB

In a story titled “Jenny Simpson Targets NYC Half After Dropping Out of Olympic Marathon Trials” published by Runner’s World yesterday, it was reported that for the first time in her running career, Jenny Simpson faced a decision that she’d never considered in a race. At mile 18 of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, her debut at the distance, the most decorated U.S. 1500-meter runner in history made the difficult choice to drop out of the competition on February 3… After the race, Simpson took time to reflect. For two days, the three-time Olympian relaxed with her family in Oviedo, Florida, her hometown located just outside Orlando. In between playing with her nieces and enjoying home-cooked meals, she expected to feel sad following the race. But to her surprise, that feeling never came. Instead, Simpson felt motivated to find another opportunity to show her fitness and secured a spot in the NYC half on March 17. She went on to say, “The race didn’t turn out the way I wanted… I swung once, totally missed, but I’m gonna swing again because I believe I’m ready for it.”

And you know, when it comes to being ready for something, the Bible is very clear that a person isn’t ready for a leadership or teaching position until they have shown themselves to be mature, humble, faithful, and obedient to God—characteristics that are only attained through and tested by time, trials, setbacks and troubles. Which means that we must trust God’s plan for our lives when we are experiencing defeats, delays, and difficulties along the path to do what we feel we are called to do, remembering that He knows “the proper time” to exalt us and will do so when we are ready for the position he has given us the desire to hold. 

So submit yourself under the mighty hand of God today my friend. Give Him your whole life, trust Him completely, keep pressing on, and follow where He leads you... keeping in mind that when you think God might be saying “No” to the desire of your heart, He could very well be saying, “Not yet” instead. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that Your ways are higher than ours and Your plans are better than ours. When life doesn’t go the way we planned, help us to consider that You are working our perceived setbacks to be victories at the proper time, for our good and for Your glory. Help us to be humble Lord as we wait for You to tell us when it’s time to swing again. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!