Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 is probably the most well known Biblical passage about time, reminding us that there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. Time is something created by God (who dwells in eternity… a timeless existence we find difficult to comprehend!) and tonight Stephen explored the theme of time, informing us that in a common year there are 31,536,000 seconds and asking how we order or control our lives, how we use these seconds wisely for God.
Nowadays we have many ways of keeping time, from wind-up watches to digital ones needing batteries to smartwatches which need to be charged on a daily basis. All of these need a power source, however, to keep time, but God, the creator of time, does not need any external power source. All power and life are found in Him and thus it makes sense for us to allow Him to be in control of our time. Sadly, so often we try to take charge of time ourselves and don’t make the most of every opportunity as God wants us to (see Eph 5:16); we waste time and think we’re in control of time.
Christians need to understand that our times are in God’s hands (Ps 31:15) and He is in charge of all time, including ours. In every situation of our lives, He can make a difference. We live in time, but He has set eternity in our hearts (Eccl 3:11) and we live best when we live in the present but live for eternity (see Matt 6:19-21).
