According to Ecclesiastes 3:1-8;
There is a time for everything:
“For everything there is a season
and a time for every activity under heaven:
a time to give birth and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted;
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build up;
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek and a time to lose,
a time to keep and a time to discard;
a time to tear apart and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.”
The thing is, as I read my devotions in the YouVersion App the other day, which sees me continuing to work my way through the Book of Psalms, I was reminded of the paradox and brevity of time.
You see, time is such a curious thing. When you are a kid, a year seems like a lifetime while you wait for your next birthday.
As a teenager nearing adulthood, with mounting responsibilities and deadlines, time begins to pick up pace until suddenly, you find yourself graduating from school and starting life out on your own. Then, you have to figure out what things in life will slow you down and which things won’t, as you strive to get ahead.
All the while time keeps on ticking and the pace of life actually continues to gain momentum. Days, weeks and months start rolling on by at an ever increasing pace and you find yourself reaching key moments in your journey of life wondering where have the days gone.
Maybe that’s why David asked God to show him the constraints of his life’s timeline.
David understood that he needed God to shift his perspective on time, that he needed his focus realigned on what really matters – God!
You see, he came to realise that the brief time that we have been given compared to God’s is nothing at all, he could identify with the writer of Ecclesiastes.
His lifetime was “nothing more than a puff of air – I’m gone so swiftly. So too are the grandest of men; they are nothing but a fleeting shadow!“
Refer to Psalm 39:5 (The Passion Translation)
In verse 6 he goes on to say that; “All our activities and energies are spent for things that pass away. We gather, we hoard, we cling to our things, only to leave them behind for who knows who.“
By understanding the fragility and briefness of our lives, we could be freed from living vainly in pursuit of wealth or possessions or personal gain. Instead, we could be like David: living with hope, restored joy, and praise that overflows in all areas of our lives.
As Pink Floyd sang about in their classic song ‘Time’ from The Dark Side of the Moon album “every year is getting shorter and we never seem to find the time, plans that either come to naught, or can be seen as half a page of scribbled lines” can sit never fully realised.
We can end up “ticking away the moments that make up a dull day, frittering and wasting the hours in an offhand way.“
As a fan of Pink Floyd it is hard to imagine that that song was written about 50 years ago, according to wikipedia it was recorded between 3 June 1972 – 1 February 1973, that’s like half a century ago 🙂
Yet, those lyrics are just as relevant to us today than they were when they were originally written. The same can be said of the Scriptures referenced above from both Ecclesiastes and Psalms, although written thousands of year ago they are just as relevant to us in this day and age as when they were originally written.
May we come to a similar conclusion to that of David found in Psalm 39:7 (The Voice);
“In light of all this, Lord, what am I really waiting for? You are my hope.”
So, today I want to leave you with a couple of questions as we each contemplate the paradox and brevity of time in comparison to our Creator God and the eternity that He has promised for those that believe in Him.
Recognising that there’s a time for everything!
How would an understanding of the fragility of your life help you – or hinder you – in living whatever time you have left in such a way to inspire and encourage those close to you, especially those of the younger generation with hopes, dreams and aspirations to so much more?
You see, how you and I use whatever time we have been allotted is of utmost importance – as we will only get one opportunity to use it for the benefit of others. So use it wisely 😃
Secondly, Knowing that our days are short in comparison to eternity, what do you need to let go of today (sacrifice / set aside) to draw closer to God and his plan for your life?
Blessings ’til next time 🙂
The life and times of Perry... 