God's Factory of Time
by Dr. John Tetsola

We are made in God's factory. At each stage in His factory, God works His ingredients into us with His own hands, investing us with His qualities, grace-given abilities, talents, and anointing. The Master Packager knows when our preparation is complete and ready to be released to the consumers-the people of God.

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
Jeremiah 18:4

God's factory is called the Factory of Time. The products released from His factory are polished and seasoned saints who will serve the purpose of God upon their generations. It is in this factory that the manufacturing (the making by the Potter's hand) of all believers must take place. Throughout the manufacturing process, the Potter/Quality Assurance committee plays an important role. They constantly monitor all aspects of the manufacturing process by inspecting and testing the products. Their goal is to make sure that the highest level of quality is achieved so that the package can meet the FDA requirements-the Father's Determined Attributes. The labeling process follows, and is extremely important because the product must accurately reflect the manufacturer's claims of quality, weight, and volume. To be crushed in the Potter's hands is anything but pleasant. Flexibility and trustful submission are all the Potter requires of the imperfect vessel. You may feel ready to step out in ministry, but the Potter's trained eye can spot the hidden flaws and tiny hairline fractures that the untrained eye would miss. Abiding in God's factory of time ensures that you will obtain God's divine seal of approval, accurately reflecting the Manufacturer's claims.

…in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
Isaiah 49:2b

"In the shadow of His hand hath He hid me" speaks of the obscurity of the believer during their time of preparation. During this time, the believer is hidden from the eyes of the world and, sometimes, even from the eyes of the church. Many of the leaders in the Bible experienced a "hidden" period. Moses was hidden forty years on the backside of the desert before he led his nation forth from Egypt. During this time, the Lord prepared a shepherd's heart in Moses, enabling him to lead the nation of Israel to freedom. Jesus was the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, yet He waited for His Father's commissioning before stepping out into ministry. He abided under the shadow of the Almighty before His unveiling and was not released until after His thirty "hidden" years. In the Father's factory of time, Jesus was in preparation, learned obedience, and patiently waited for His Father's pronouncement of "This is My Beloved Son-hear Him." The believers that God is raising must learn to humbly abide under the shadow of the Almighty, in that secret place of preparation, opting for God's fullness of time without a spirit of impatience and distrust.

"In His quiver hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft." The "quiver experience" is used for the holding purpose. A believer can experience a long wait until their chosen time to go forth. The quiver experience is very hard for most believers because they feel they have already taken the necessary steps of preparation to be sent forth. This is especially hard for those who have endured bitter experiences successfully. They have responded correctly to their calling, their preparation, their hiding under God's hand, and their polishing, but now they ask, "Why the waiting period?" But in God's factory of time every believer has a special season set aside to hide in the quiver and be polished, and they will only be revealed at God's appointed time.

…"And made me a polished shaft." The word polish means to clarify, to examine, or to purge so as to brighten. Because the shaft is one of the most important components of an arrow, it must undergo the purging, sanding, and polishing process to play its role in producing an arrow that will hit the mark. If the shaft of the arrow is warped or misaligned in any way, the arrow will not hit its mark. A crooked shaft renders an arrow useless. The shaft of the arrow can speak of the character of the servant of the Lord, while the head speaks of his ministry. Both the character and ministry of God's servants must be properly aligned before God, from His factory of time, launches you as an arrow to be shot forth to hit the mark which He has ordained for your life. Resist the temptation and pressure to go ahead of God's timing. There is no set age for your deliverance from God's factory, nor is there a set pattern for you to follow regarding release into your calling. And because the time and manner of release is different for every believer you cannot compare your experience with another's. Wait patiently for the timing of the Lord for He is the only perfect Manufacturer. What the Lord works into a believer during their season of preparation will be revealed at the time of the believer's release from God's factory
 

by Dr. John A. Tetsola