Like Sand Through the Hour Glass...

The aspect of “time” controls everything about us. When do we wake up? Time. When do we leave for work? Time. When do we eat lunch? Time. When do we go get the kids from school? Time. How long is ball practice? Time. How long do I have to read this blog? Time. Daylight Saving Time – do we move our clocks back or ahead? Why can’t we just set in 30 minutes ahead/back and leave it alone? (my wife’s plea)

The act of changing our clocks forward or back an hour began in Europe in 1916 (World War I) as a way to conserve electric power. The United States did not recognize the change until Congress voted it into law on March 19, 1918. The law stipulated it as “an act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States.” From 1945 to 1966, states were free to honor it and or not. In 1974, however, Richard Nixon signed it into permanent law to begin on January 6. And so, it began…the yawns, the aches, the dips in worker productivity.

I did not get a vote.

Beginning at 2:00am on March 8, 2020, and ending at 2:00am on the first Sunday of November, we continue this tradition. This got me thinking…what does the Bible say about “time?”

The aspect of time beginning is indeed an interesting topic. Genesis 1 begins, “In the beginning…” Immediately, we ask ourselves, “In the beginning of God?” (No, that is heresy! God is not a created being. He sits outside of time.) It is clear God intervened, “In the beginning” of His creation…our world.

God allows His workings with man to be defined by man’s watch. He doesn’t have to. Time, therefore, is a vehicle which God uses to propagate and delineate His plan for mankind. In other words, time is not in control of God. God is in control of time.

Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you…to give you a future and a hope.” Yes, God is involved and active in our future. Even Joshua 1:8 reminds us to meditate on Scripture “day and night.” Malachi 3:6 adds, “For I am the Lord, I do not change;” Again, we see the element of a time/space continuum. Fast forward to the New Testament and we read that it is Jesus who is the “same yesterday, today, and forever.” Jesus is also declared to be the One “of whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

God is in control of His time and our time. Solomon writes “to everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.” Today, He is in control of our world and our salvation, and (again, time reference) “today is the day of salvation.” Salvation, along with many other blessings, are “beautiful in its time.” Solomon continues, “He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does beginning to end” (my italics). One day, coming very soon, God will eliminate and eradicate any notion or idea of time: “There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.” Wow!

God is outside of time (Is. 57:15, 2 Tim. 1:9). God is in control of our time (Eph. 1:4, Hebrews 11:3). The main draw that we can take from this discussion is that God desires for us to make the most of our time on earth. One day in heaven, when time will be no more, all we have time to do is worship God. It will be time well spent.