Time

At my current job, I get off almost 2 weeks for a Christmas break. It is during this time that I try to get together with family and friends for lunches and holiday gatherings. I have to make time and be intentional to set up plans to spend time with people who are dear to me. I make time for people I love. I realize that I need to do this same thing with God.

God is the most important One in my life. He gave me the very life that I am living now. He died for my salvation. He loves me more than anyone else ever could. Yet, I have not made much time for Him--certainly not the kind of time He deserves.

God stepped out of eternity into a mortal body and made time to come to earth for 33 years to fulfill all scriptures concerning the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. If He had time to die for me, I have time to live for Him.

Time is something no mortal can escape. Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

Time for mankind is fleeting. Job said in chapter 14 verses 1-2, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.  He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not." Time on earth for us is short, we must try to use our time to help others and spend time with God. We must be good stewards with the time that God has allowed us to have here on earth. Every day is a precious gift.

We also must realize that God's time is not the same as our time. Psalm 90:4 declares, "For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." 2 Peter 3:8 echoes this same thing by saying, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

God does not move according to our timetable. We want everything NOW. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He hath made every thing beautiful in His time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” We can be encouraged by reading Psalm 37 that God will act on our behalf. Verses 4-5 read, "Delight thyself also in the Lord: and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass." Notice there is no deadline on this promise. We are simply to delight in the Lord, commit our way to Him, and trust Him.

In our lives, we go through good times and hard times. Our lives are subject to change at any given moment. One thing remains constant--God. He promised to always be with us. No matter the season of life we are in, we can rely on our faithful God who has remained the same throughout the ages. Hebrews 13:8 proclaims, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever."

Remember throughout your busy days that God always has time to listen to your prayers. All you have to do is make time to make your requests known to God. Prayer, Bible reading, and singing songs of worship are all avenues to spend some time with God. Be intentional about spending time with God, even if you have to put it on your daily calendar! God will draw near to you if you draw near to Him. I challenge you, and myself, to spend more time with God in the coming year.