You are a time traveler. Just as sure was the day you were born. Just as sure as there’s a small, blue planet you call home. Just as sure as the DNA within you.
That might sound a bit, “whoa… cosmic” to some. But you don’t need to smoke anything to know that it’s true. You are a time traveler—as you progress from one twenty-four hour period of time into the next, and the next.
OK—this isn’t exactly “Star Trek.” It may seem like the slow lane. And if you are going through difficult trials in life, it may seem excruciatingly slow. But you are definitely and inevitably moving right along, on your very own highway of time.
This isn’t exactly a news flash. But the purpose and meaning of time is profound. And although I won’t pretend to know all the answers to the mystery of time, I want you to know how time has been ordained, by God—for you. Personally.
The Illusion of Your Time
Why do we so often complain that we don’t have enough time? It literally permeates our existence. And yet, we are always running out of it.
Time “flies.” Where does it all go? As small children, the abundance of our days seem endless. Later, as adults, the number of our days seem to diminish before our eyes. And for those of us with gray hair, the momentum of time gone by is startling.
In our flip book of days—the pages go by faster and faster. Days begin to blur, until finally disappearing into years. Chunks of years flip by, faster and faster.
Eventually, the years seem to flee, like birds from an opened cage. It seems that nothing we do helps us to hold on to them.
Why does this happen? It is our sense of time—it is an illusion, and it is real. To understand this illusion of time we are under, we must return to our beginnings—in the garden of Eden.
In the book of Genesis—before Adam and Eve fell into disobedience and sin—they were in right standing with God. They were blameless and sinless. God walked with them there, in the misty cool of the garden. And there’s no doubt that as they talked, God shared His heart.
They were in perfect harmony with God’s purposes for their lives. We might say that they were on God’s perfect time schedule. They didn’t worry, and they didn’t hurry. They were calmly content, and completely fulfilled in God.
He always had their attention. And He had all of the answers they needed. They were on “God time.” And nothing held more importance to them than the Creator, and His perfect timing for all things.
But when the disobedience of Sin entered into humanity, everything changed—including our sense of time. It was no longer orderly and ordered by God. Within the minds of human beings, time had lost its sovereign value.
No longer committed to God’s perfect purposes, the self-will of humankind would now defy the Creator, and use all things—things that were once provided by God toward His purposes—for their own selfish reasoning. And this certainly included time itself.
“Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.” (Jeremiah 2:32)
No longer purposed and holy, the days allotted humanity might be used for any purpose of self-benefit. Time—no longer constrained within God’s purposed and protected time frame—would now be subject to the whims and finite nature of fallen minds.
This resulted in the illusion—the loss of the true sense of time—and it would bring confusion to every person’s days. Hidden within the selfish, fallen nature, time had lost its true purpose. And time, divorced from purpose, is like a ship out on the open sea, without a sail—adrift and without direction.
“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare; so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11-12)
This illusion creates a distortion of time. Time seems to get away from us, as if it slipped right through our fingers. We may also think we have plenty of time to do something, when that is not reality. If time is squandered unwisely, we may later find ourselves unprepared for challenges and evil ahead.
Without God’s purposes and design, days, years and even entire lifetimes seem to be wasted and meaningless. But they don’t have to be—if we break free from the illusion.
The Gift of Your Time
Time moves all around you, every moment of every day. It can’t be stopped, started, increased, decreased, paused or manipulated in any way. Time can only be perceived and recorded, as it passes by.
Time is not tangible. It has no shape or size of its own. And yet, time influences all things of shape and substance.
Time can be measured, or managed. But, no matter how hard we try, time can not be mastered. Time can never be dominated. It is the infinite schedule upon which every finite being must rely upon, and remain subject to.
Time honors no man. It pays no attention to birthplace, or bank accounts. It only regards the Timekeeper.
“But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God. My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.” ( Psalms 31:14-15)
Time—this unexplainable substance which carries you through life—is willed by the hand of Almighty God Himself. Every moment of every day is His gift to you.
“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalms 90:12)
Physically, your days on this earth are limited. But your decision to pursue God’s wisdom in your life can be the difference between life or death—eternal life or death, that is.
Whether or not you realize this, eternity is all around you. You are experiencing it right now, with this first initial span of your lifetime. And what you choose to do with your lifetime has eternal results.
I can not stress this enough.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
What a magnificent gift you have been given! The opportunity to know your Savior and Lord, and to one day behold Him as King. Time makes possible the discovery of all you have been purchased and purposed to be—to know the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and to know the Father who sent Him.
“That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:7-8)
Our God is beyond time. He transcends time. He holds all time eternal—in His limitless grace. And He’s given His time to you.
The Test of Your Time
Your days are numbered. And God knows the number of our days—just like He knows the number of hairs upon your head. He has perfect knowledge and knows you, from beginning to end.
So comes your test of time. Time affords you the opportunity to learn how to take who you are, and what you have been given, and give it all back to God. Each day, you have the opportunity to share your time, or give it away—or to keep it for yourself.
It’s a choice, and it’s a test—and it’s not an easy thing to do. Thankfully, each of us has a lifetime to pass this test.
“He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:39)
What did Jesus mean here, when He said that I must “lose” my life, for His sake? It means that I must give up what was not mine to begin with. That I must give what I cannot keep, in order to find and receive what I otherwise could not have found: real life, discovered through the open door of the cross of Christ.
The finite, given to receive the infinite—such a deal!
He gives us our moments and days in our lifetime, so that at His appointed time, we may walk through that door to meet Him. And after we meet Him, He teaches us, day by day, how to give our lives away, for the sake of Christ.
Unless a person “loses” their life for the sake of Christ, they will live their entire life without discovering what true life was intended to be.
Want to “lose” your life, for Christ?
1. Acknowledge that Christ Jesus—God in the form of man—paid for your sin, with His own life.
2. Go to the cross where He paid your penalty, and give yourself to Him. Relinquish your rights to your life, for His.
3. If you have done this, your life is now His. Ask Jesus to teach you how to give what you can not keep: your own days, to give to others just like you—with their own numbered days of opportunity.
You have been given your test of time—to discover who and why you are placed here. Every hour is like a divine time capsule of opportunities. It’s a test, but it is also a taste of things to come.
The Power of Your Time
For the brief instance of a lifetime, we seem to hold this masterful place. It is a heady position to find ourselves, with this power of choice— to say, do and be whatever we will.
And sometimes, especially when things are going very well, we feel like we have mastered life. We feel like we can hold it and have it and warrant each new day—just because we choose to.
But of course, this simply isn’t true. The choices are ours, but the time we are given is like a fading fragrance. A sweetness, soon gone. A powerful moment, soon past.
We must remember that this temporary time of choosing is for a distinct and destined purpose: the opportunity to find the way before us.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
If you have given yourself to Christ, then you are “not your own.” Each day presents with literally hundreds of choices. So then what shall you choose, while you live, move and have your being?
This is what your God-given time is all about: making right choices, while you are able.
The world seems to believe that they can just make a few smart choices to live better, do better and be better. But as Christians, we know that any choice made—apart from Christ’s saving blood of atonement—means very little.
Plenty of really great people—who make every smart choice in life except Jesus—live separated from God, and end up living eternity in hell. There is only one choice that truly matters : the power, and the privilege, to choose Jesus Christ as Savior.
Though they might be good, positive life choices, all other choices you make are secondary. Christ Jesus is the choice of a lifetime. Be sure you have clearly and completely made Him your choice, while you have the time to do so.
“Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying, How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” (Proverbs 1:20-23)
God’s precious and powerful wisdom awaits any of us who choose to hear and believe.
I live in the United States. You might live anyplace on earth. What truly matters is not where we are, but who we are, wherever we are. And really, I am just like you.
Just like you, I am subject to the problems and trials of this life. I don’t always have the strength or even the desire to utilize my time well, and I must rely upon the Lord to guide me. He lifts me up and teaches me, as he guides me on this journey—this gift of my lifetime.
And since He sees and knows the number of my days, God understands what each new day will present to me. The choices, the opportunities, and the challenges. God not only knows the number of my days, He knows the nature of my days. And He knows exactly what I will need and when I will need it. As I learn to give Him my life and myself, He fills my life and my nature with His own.
The power of time is really just choosing to trust God—moment by moment—with all that you have, while you still have it. The Bible is full of people who did this very thing, and the power of God prevailed in an otherwise mediocre life.
The Warning of Your Time
To many, life might seem pretty straightforward—as long as they live it for themselves. But here is the reality of that mindset:
“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 16:25)
Death? Obviously, that “way” is the wrong “way” to go!
What is that “way,” that “seems right” to a man? It is that road on which he travels, where he is the master of his own fate.
“After all,” he may reason, “life is a road. Roads are meant to be traveled. It’s my road, and nothing is going to stop me.” Not even a warning sign can stop a man determined to walk on his own.
The warning sign has been given. There is no discussion, and no compromises to be made. It is deliberate, and there is no mistaking what it means. “Stop. Don’t go that way.” But a warning is only as effective as the one perceiving it. It has no power other than to warn. Beyond that, it must step aside.
Along the road of your time, God has placed many warning signs. And if you go the wrong way, time makes no protest. Time can make no decisions for you, or alter any outcomes. It is only you who has the power of decision, to ask God which “way” He wants you to go.
And if you are truly wise in God, you can learn how to walk this road of your life, in order to become a warning sign to others.
“Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4:5-6)
As we walk in wisdom, we learn to utilize our days—”redeeming the time”—as we watch and warn those who aren’t paying attention to the times.
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Is God able to warn me when danger should be avoided? Yes. He most certainly will—if I trust Him, and believe that He goes out ahead of me to fight the battles, and clear the way.
I may not even know there was any trouble. But because my prayer has gone out before me, the principalities and powers of darkness were scattered before I even arrived.
This is the power and presence of Almighty God. He truly is the Author and Finisher of our days. Allow Him to operate fully in your life, and you won’t get into so much trouble. If trouble does come your way, you can rejoice in it—because you know all things allowed by the Lord are working together somehow for your ultimate good.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)
The Eternity of Your Time
Your time isn’t just about the here and now. It can’t be.
Your life has been gifted to you by the eternal God, and it should be viewed through an eternal lens. Though it is not completely clear what eternity holds in store, it is certainly your future.
Because we don’t fully understand eternity, it’s easy to discount it, or pretend that we don’t belong to it. But to only view time as “now” removes us from the real picture. We belong in eternal realms, and we must believe in the eternal God.
God—who holds the eternity of time, and who fully understands the future of every person who has ever lived.
Let that sink in for a little while.
Can you allow your view of God’s realms of glory to expand, out to realities you cannot yet grasp, but only trust Him for? You should.
Because trusting the Timekeeper with your days will give you the faith picture you’ll need, to accomplish that for which you have been summoned here: to do His will, right here and now—one purposed day at a time.
Your faith picture is a very important indicator for your spiritual well being, in the here and now. Ask yourself, “If I am not really looking forward to spending my whole future with the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, then why not? What is holding me back from truly letting go—to be able to fully love and trust my savior and Lord?”
If you believe that you can trust Him with your life right now—today—you must also put your full confidence in God, to trust Him for your tomorrows. All of them. Countless millions of them.
But it’s even more than that. Catch a glimpse of the blessings God so joyfully waits to surprise you with, in the world to come. Allow your eyes of faith to project you into worlds of time, only known by your Heavenly Father, who longs to have you and hold you forever.
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)
If you are Christ’s, then you are your Father’s, as well. Imagine…He has purposed, created and chosen you to be His child! You, me, and all who have exchanged their own lives for Christ Jesus.
Catch the eternal vision of you, child of God—going places, seeing things, and being things that aren’t presently possible to even understand. They are beyond imagination!
But they are real. As real as the sunrise. As real as your own heartbeat. Eternities of time—graciously given to those who have chosen Him—while we had our days of lifetimes.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” (Revelation 22:12-13)
Your earthly life will soon be gone. It’s just a matter of time. But your choice to be God’s child will last forever and ever.
The choice is yours to make, right now. Trust the Timekeeper.
After all, anything worthwhile is worth waiting for.