In a more human way, I was reminded last evening once again of this “fullness of time.” A small group from First Baptist Concord went down to the Billy Graham Library to see the Christmas lights, take a carriage ride, and tour the library. As I explored Billy’s life, I began to see God’s “just the right time” in full effect.
He came onto the evangelical scene at just the right moment. He was one of the first to use mass media to share the gospel with the world. Technological advances like air travel, television, radio, and the movie industry were all employed by the BGEA to share the love of Christ with a desperate world. Even the political situation proved to be advantageous to “America’s Pastor.” He had the ear of Presidents and Prime Ministers. He was even allowed to preach behind the Iron Curtain. There’s no doubt in my mind that God orchestrated the events of Billy Graham’s life.
The amazing thing of all of this is that God equipped this young North Carolina boy “for such a time as this.” His emergence in the 20th Century was no coincidence. At just the right time, God walked Billy Graham onto the world stage, to point to the risen Jesus as the only hope for eternal life. He was a man with a purpose.
As I pondered all of this last night, I began to think about the rest of us. Do you think that God has put you in place “for such a time as this?” What has God called, equipped, and empowered you to do? You and I are in the right place at just the right time. What will we do with this moment in time? They might not ever build a library for our posterity, but will our lives even count? So, I’ve decided what I want us to do.
