“There is an appointed time for
everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—“ Ecclesiastes 3:1
King Solomon, one of
the wisest men who ever lived, wrote this verse. He understood that God appoints time…. to everything.
Our concept or
understanding of time is not God’s understanding of time. And we are often indoctrinated in
God by God’s use of time. However,
we are often ignorant of time and it’s use. We miss use time. We are possessive and selfish of what we consider “our”
time. We are possessive of the
people and things in time, which cannot be possessed. We fail to realize (repeatedly) is what we hope for others
and ourselves cannot be destined and/or governed by us. And what we force on our own
accord often brings negative consequences and un-satisfaction.
Jesus teaching is
disciples to pray said to pray like this to the Heavenly Father, “May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on
earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10
When things don’t
happen the way we expect we become impatient and frustrated with others, ourselves and with God. Sometimes God's “appointed time” for a certain thing has not come or become realized yet. (Remember Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar.)
Often in unexpected
death of a loved one we become angry and resentful with God because we think
God has wronged them and us of the short time we got to spend with them on this
earth. What we do not fully
understand is that all souls created by God a- belong to God and we are just brief stewards of what God fully owns -for
he is the one who created us and gave us what we have.
“For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us
anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long
ago.” Ephesians 2:10
We are to take care of
young, old, family, friend, neighbor, and even foe as if they belong to God-
even if they don’t have a relationship with the LORD.
So they might see… as
we live as ambassadors of Christ, and come to the LORD and be not only saved
in the LORD but have a more satisfying life that the LORD gives to those who trust Him.
I believe the more we
understand God is responsible for our life and others people’s life -the more
we see life is truly in Him. (Read
that again.)
When a person tries to
control what they can’t control there is no peace. When a child, striving for control, disobeys the rules of
the house - what ensues? What ensues when we try or presume we have control
over our life? Foolishness takes
over does it not?
For those living in God
have to daily/hourly relinquish in thought and prayer what they thought they
might have control over so they may have what God promises of love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Note Galatians 5:22-23)
Philippians 4:6-7 says “Don't worry about
anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him
for all he has done. If you do this, you will
experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can
understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
What is this saying to
you about control, time, and your life?
“Come now, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go into
such and such a city and spend a year
there and carry on our business and make money. Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen
tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor
(a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then
disappears [into thin air]. You ought instead
to say, ‘If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that
[thing]’. But as it is, you
boast [falsely] in your presumption and
your self-conceit. All such boasting is wrong. So
any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.”
James 4:13-17
How do you think about life, time and who has control?
I want to tell you
about an event I heard in church years ago while the Lord had us living in a little eastern Washington
town. A family was heading to church camp. The mother and father were in one car
leading the way as the grandmother and granddaughter followed in a car behind
them. During the trip the
granddaughter spoke up excitedly from the backseat. “Jesus said he is taking me to heaven.”
The grandmother replied
with what I understood as a kind presumption. Something like…. “Yes one day you will be with Jesus in heaven.”
The little girl smiled
and said, “No I am going now Grandma.”
It was then the
grandmother’s car was struck by another car and instantly the precious child
was killed.
This event and loss must
have been more difficult then words can express… I am sure her mother and father had hopes for their daughter and thoughts about her future - as all parents do or should. I am sure she is still thought about
often as they live out the rest of their appointed time on this earth. But even though this was a great loss- I think they find great comfort in their little girl’s recited excited words that came
from the backseat that day and how she was instantly taken to be with Jesus to
heaven.
We often “feel”
restrained by time but God, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow is
not and someday at our appointed time we, who have put our trust in Jesus, will be with Him.
Things maybe beautiful for a time but
without God everything becomes meaningless- not to mention disheartening. May the love of God, hope in God and faith in God encourage us always- in Jesus name Amen!
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