Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD (Psalm 27:14).

Hearing and doing the will of God are two important steps that often get confused as one step. However, these are two distinct processes. When we hear the voice of God, this is only 50% of the process. The next important step is to know when to move. It is one thing to hear, it is another to know when to act.

There was a time when the Lord showed me I was to write. This was a major change in my life from what I was doing. As I began to write, I wanted to find a publisher for my work. This became a real frustration. I encountered many false starts and many well-intentioned people wanted who tried to assist but resulted in further delays.

Finally, my wife asked me, "Os, have you completed the book you are working on?" "No", I replied. "When you complete the book God will provide a publisher if He has called you to write. You need to complete the book."

A few months later I had been in discussions with a publisher about my work. They were going to be in my city and wanted to meet with me. That day they offered me a contract on my book. It also was the exact day that I had completed the book. I thought back to the words my wife had said.

Corrie Ten Boom was a woman from Holland who was a prisoner in the German Holocaust who lost her sister in the concentration camps. She tells a story about her father taking her on the train. She always wanted to get the ticket from her father ahead of time. He never gave her the ticket until she was about to get onto the train.

God is always on time. He is never late, but He is seldom early. Ask God for the wisdom to discern His will and His timing for the events in your life.