“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)
Time Marches On
It is 2017! Another year. Time marches on. I remember a writing assignment in elementary school where we described what we thought our life would be like in the year 2000. That was in the mid 1980’s and the year 2000 seemed so far away. We are now 17 years past the beginning of the new millennium, but it doesn’t seem so very long ago. Yes, time marches on.
Time is a Gift
Time is a gift that God gives to us – every year, every month, every week, every day, every hour, every minute, every second. This new year is a gift God gives you. There are no guarantees. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. But we have this day. We have this year. So we thank the Lord for this gift of time we have to share with those we love because there may not be another year.
Time Doesn’t Come Back
You don’t get it back. It will be 2017 only once. We will never go back to yesterday. Yesterday is in the past. Knowing we only get one chance, we want to get it right. We will all have regrets about how we have used our time in the past. But it is those regrets of the past that inspire us to make the most of the time we have today.
Time is a limited Resource
Eventually time runs out. We only get so much of it. It is a limited resource that God gives to us.
“The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10, ESV)
Some of us get more. Some of us get less. But for all of us, the time we have is limited.
We Need Help to Manage Time
All of this leads to Psalm 90:12. This verse is a prayer asking for God’s help to use our time effectively. If we are to make the most of our time, we need God’s help. This Psalm acknowledges I cannot do it on my own. Effective use of my time requires wisdom and discipline that God provides. Wisdom comes from receiving daily input from the Holy Spirit. Discipline comes from strength and determination provided by God through faith.
My prayer for this New Year’s Day is that we would receive wisdom from God to number our days aright in this new year. And as we better use our time, we would experience greater things.
Questions for Reflection
- How do you seek God’s wisdom to use your time effectively?
- What has God called you to accomplish in this new year?
- Share your thoughts in the comments.
Terry Biglin says
I did something this past Christmas season I had never done before: I asked God to slow down time. I didn’t wait until the last minute to do things. I just didn’t want time to fly by & have Christmas over & done with so quickly. I wanted time to appreciate the shopping, preparation of meals, invitations to enjoy time with friends & family. God answered my prayer/request & because of His response I was able to slow down & enjoy the season. Of course, I know that God didn’t really slow down time. He changed me to be able to plan my time more effectively to appreciate the upcoming celebration of Jesus’ birth & share it with those who mean so much to me. Lesson learned is that I can continue to do that & enjoy life more fully. Thank you, Pastor Ressler, for your thought provoking, prayer inspiring messages.
Joan says
I am a recent widow and I feel God is calling me to continue to demonstrate the ongoing love of His word that their dad and I cherished through our 57 year marriage. Sometimes this includes a time for grieving together and then moving forward like their dad and our God would have us do. Pastor Phil, I lead a weekly bible study at a senior home and so very often find your scriptures and comments give wonderful devotional material and stimulates good conversation and prayers. Thank you so very much from me and my bible study group here in Florida.