Your Appointed Time

Acts 13:48
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch and preached in the synagogue. The Jews wanted to have more discussions with Paul and Barnabas about Jesus. In other words, they were still skeptics but it was the knowledge and wisdom of Paul and Barnabas that got their attention. Paul himself was very much learned in their ways before his conversion on the road to Damascus so he could easily identify with them. But Paul knew them very well which is why the Lord put him in front of the Gentiles. The Jews from that particular synagogue were not ready for salvation. Their hearts were not open. Like the Jews and Gentiles of Antioch, everyone has an appointed time to believe and come to Christ. The only one who knows the exact appointment is God. Our timetable does not matter. Only God knows what needs to take place in a person's life for them to believe. Only God knows which message or messenger he will use for a person's appointment with salvation. If you are already a believer, trust in the fact that you had an appointment with salvation. If you are not yet a believer in Christ, maybe your appointment has not yet arrived. For some of us, it took having a whole in us or in our lives for us to be searching for meaning, searching for God. There are some who sit on the pews every Saturday or Sunday that have not yet had their appointment with salvation. God is the keeper of all time and knows when it's your time. Maybe it was your time last Saturday or Sunday (depending on when you celebrate the Sabbath), but because you feared being starred at, you didn't make your appointment.You are the one who loses out on peace and eternal life. Maybe you were going to attend service last week but didn't. If you had, maybe that would've been your appointed time because it would've been the message you needed to hear but you felt like sleeping in. Maybe something or someone else had your attention. Your appointed time is not about pleasing anyone else or making anyone else feel good. It's about you and the Lord and coming to a place of belief, audibly desiring to make him head of your life and true repentance (to feel remorse for the things you've done). Once you get that point, nothing and no one will stop you. When you get that point, it will be your appointed time.