“I don’t have time to _____________.“ “I have to hurry; I have a deadline to meet and I’m running out of time.” “I don’t have enough time; I have an appointment, and I’m going to be late.” As we get older, we often hear, “There are some things I want to get done, things I want to see and do and I’m running out of time.” Why are humans so wrapped up in time? We humans are so wrapped up in time because as an old song said, “there’s a time to live and a time to die.” Men realize that from the time of birth until the time of death is such a short time compared to eternity. A dictionary defines “time” as “all the days that have been or ever will be; the past, present and future.” I came across the following article by Frank Chesser about time, and I want to share it with you.
From out of the bosom of eternity came time. God “Inhabits eternity” (Isaiah 57:15) while man dwells in time. Eternity gave birth to time as a temporary arrangement for transient humanity.
“One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). This was Peter’s way of saying that time means nothing to God. God was neither younger when time began, nor will He be older when time ends.
“In the beginning” marks the commencement of time, the universe and man (Genesis 1:1). At time’s inception, there was no backward look for prior to time was eternity. Everything material is limited by time as is time itself for time’s final sunset was predestined in eternity.
Time is not eternity’s interlude, for eternity is without beginning or end. If time’s duration is a billion years, it will only be a microscopic pebble on the unending shores of eternity. When eternity bids goodbye to time, time will not be missed. There will be no void to fill.
Man’s body is birthed for time but his spirit for eternity. The moment he enters the door marked “Life,” he commences a hasty exit toward the door marked “Death.” His days on earth pass with more swiftness than a “weaver’s shuttle” (Job 7:6), a fleeing “shadow” (Job 14:2) or a dissipating “vapor” (James 4:14). Time marks him at birth and claims him at death.
Time rushes on, unchecked and unaltered, carrying every material object to its inevitable end. Rust, decay and death are its perpetual companions. We are all running out of time. The only thing that really matters is, are you prepared to meet God? Are you ready to go? When time is swallowed up in eternity, where will you be? “Behold now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2).
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 teaches that to every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, die, plant, pluck up, kill, heal, break down, build up, weep, laugh, mourn, dance, cast away stones, gather stones, embrace, refrain from embracing, get, lose, keep, cast away, rend, sew, keep silence, speak, love, hate, of war and of peace.
The “Wise Man” fairly well covered the options of men’s “time.” We go on to read in Ecclesiastes 3, “no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end; whatsoever God does, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it nor any thing taken from it.” Perhaps the most profound statement of His works is found in Ecclesiastes 12:13, which says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments for this is the whole duty of man.”
From this, can you conclude with me that all the things we can do with our time are worth nothing unless what we do is in accordance with God’s instructions to us in His Holy Word? May God bless us in doing His will.
