Devotional

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness, how the time has flewn! How did it get so late so soon?”    —Dr. Seuss 

 

We’ve all experienced it—time flies!  

It’s such a universal experience that it’s been a frequent theme in popular music through the decades: The Steve Miller Band lamented:  

Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’  

Into the future. 

Jim Croce longed, “If I could save time in a bottle…”  

Cher confessed, “If I could turn back time…”  

Exasperated, Chicago asked, “Does anybody really know what time it is?” 

Where does time go? Studies have determined an average American life will include: 

• More hours watching TV, listening to the radio, and surfing the internet than anything else except breathing 
• 26 years spent sleeping 
• 46 days “getting ready” (men) … 136 days (women) 
• 20 weeks waiting “on hold” on the telephone: “We’re sorry! We’re experiencing unusually high call volumes. Your call will be answered …” 

Someone once said, “The bad news is that time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot!” This is why such an emphasis has been placed on time management. The capacity to do so seems to be within our reach. 

Peter counsels, “Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8). 

By saying “each day is as a thousand years,” Peter suggests each of our days is a sunrise-to-sunset opportunity to do something, by the grace of God, which counts for eternity. Each hour is invaluable.  

The Bible teaches, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). 

It counsels: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Ephesians 5:15-17). 

I want to view my time as sacred. In this way, I agree: “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). 

 

My prayer this week—Almighty God, I acknowledge you hold all the days of my life in your hand—you’ve numbered them all! Will you show me what’s truly important as I move through this day, and this week? Will you reveal your will to me?