Weekly Devotional: When Time Flies

“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” (2 Peter 3:8)

Does time seem like it is moving faster than it used to? Have you ever looked back and felt like that memory was only a moment ago? On Grand Canyon University’s campus, with less than five weeks in the semester to go, I keep hearing students say that this has been the fastest semester yet – and I would have to concur! Where did the time go?

In Ecclesiastes, the writer King Solomon, observed that everything happens in its time: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Similarly, we can observe cycles of peace and war, joy and sorrow, birth and death, silence and speech, all throughout history and even our own lives. Our world just keeps on turning, keeping to the steady beat of sun and space as it moves along in the dance of the heavens.

In his observation of the world, Solomon also noted that “there is nothing new under the sun; what has been will be again and what has been done will be done again.” When we look through the history of civilizations across the globe, it is clear that while the methods have changed for everything from communication to love and war, the essence of our human natures has not. We still go about doing the same things our ancestors did.

So, how should we face this constantly building whirlwind of life and time that has captured us since birth? First, we need to remember that God created time. He designed the seasons, cycles, tides and orbits that make up our understanding of time. Time is merely another one of His creations that can be used to bring glory to His name. It is a gift and a tool much like fire, which can be used to feed a family or burn a house down. In this way, God calls us to be good stewards of time and use it wisely according to His purpose so that we can live to the fullest.

The Psalmist echoes this idea in Psalm 90:12, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” In other words, we should ask God to help us understand our days in relation to eternity with Him so that we can live to make wise choices with the proper perspective. This understanding and relationship with Christ makes decisions more black and white and helps us determine what is worth treasuring in life. After all, our lives on earth, and all that fills them, will only be a mere blink in comparison to the weight of eternity to come.

1 Peter compares all people’s lives to the grass and flowers of a field – blooming brightly one day and gone the next. He affirms that the only thing that will last is God and His word.

So live soberly taking advantage of each day by focusing on the only Eternal One! He will give you the right perspective to determine what is truly valuable and worth spending our fleeting time on in this life. Our lives are a mess of contradicting forces: constant, unpredictable; planned, spontaneous; hopeful, despair; new, old; selfless, selfish. The only way to navigate safely through the time we have each day is to cling to the one who is outside of it, who made it and is uncontrolled by it. He is the same yesterday, today and forever!

Now, no matter where you are in this life, whether facing the last month of school or facing the last hour of work, invite the Lord into your life and see what the Master can do with the time He created for you!

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