When God Speaks to Them Before You
Have you ever wondered why God seems to speak to some people sooner and others later?
Why one person gets clarity immediately while you feel like you are still waiting in the dark?
I felt that tension recently while reading the Christmas story again, and something caught my attention that I had never noticed before. It was not the angels or the manger or even the journey to Bethlehem. It was the timing.
Two people.
One promise.
Two completely different moments of revelation.
Then I noticed something about the timing of when God spoke to them.
Mary was told to name Him Jesus before she was pregnant. (Luke 1:31)
Joseph was told to name Him Jesus after she was pregnant. (Matthew 1:21)
Why the difference?
God spoke to Mary before conception because faith produces the promise.
God spoke to Joseph after conception because obedience protects the promise.
Mary’s yes began it.
Joseph’s yes sustained it.
Both yeses mattered. Both yeses were required. But the timing of their instructions looked completely different.
What does that mean for us today?
Sometimes God gives you a word before it makes sense like Mary.
Other times He gives you clarity later like Joseph.
Either way, God’s timing teaches you trust, not comparison.
Mary and Joseph received the same word at different times and that is God’s way of saying, I will speak when you need to know, not when you want to know.
In leadership, marriage, ministry, or business, it is easy to wonder, Why did God speak to them first?
Why did they get confirmation before I did?
Why does their guidance seem clearer than mine?
But His timing is never random.
He reveals truth according to the role you will play in His plan.
So do not compare your timeline to someone else’s.
God’s timing for you is tailored to your assignment.
Trust His voice.
Trust His pace.
And trust that He knows exactly when to speak to you.
Reflection Questions:
Where in my life am I frustrated with God’s timing, and what might He be trying to teach me through the wait?
Has God already spoken something to me that I have not stepped out in faith or obedience to do?
Whose timeline am I secretly comparing mine to, and what would it look like to trust that God’s plan for me is unique and intentional?
