Now is the Time
(Photo by Bryce Barker on Unsplash)
It seems that the whole universe is organized for measuring time. Nature is like
a huge clockmaker’s shop in which thousands of timepieces are ticking. Pulse
beats indicate the fleeting moments; the rotation of the earth marks the passing
of day and night; the phases of the moon, the moving on of the months; the
revolutions of the planets, the march of the years.
Billy Graham
How often do you think about time? Recently, I was feeling stressed and like time kept getting away from me. I talked to the Lord about it, and He asked me to give it to Him. So I did. He gave me a picture. It was a clock. He said it was His time. He wanted me to pay attention to how my time was different on His clock. It was as if He was telling me I would feel like I had more time to do the things He wanted me to do and what before had taken three hours now would only take one hour. He was redeeming the time.
Fast forward several weeks. I had forgotten about the "clock" Jesus gave me, and I had lost my cell phone three times. The first two times, I knew I had left it at work and I got it back quickly. The third time, I figured I had left it at work again. Unfortunately, no one had turned it in nor had anyone seen it. A co-worker called my phone, but we didn't hear it ringing. I told several people, and they promised to be on the look-out. My manager took my number and said he would walk around calling it. Finally, I left hoping someone would find it and turn it in or call me.
The next morning I went to work and still no one had seen it. The manager looked at the cameras to see if he could find anyone who might have taken it from my cart. He didn't see anything. I worked and prayed all morning, but now it was almost time for me to get off work. I planned to go to Verizon but kept praying I wouldn't have to. My husband, Kevin, came in and started walking around the store calling my phone. I had one thing left to do, and I would be done. Kevin walked to where I was, and he was still calling my phone. A co-worker excitedly said that he heard a phone ringing, so I listened. "That sounds like my phone!" I practically shouted. Another co-worker who knew nothing of what had happened was nearby, and he asked if I was looking for a phone. "Yes, I am!" I said with joy. He lifted up a piece of paper on the shelf, and there was my phone. It had sat there for at least 24 hours and rang countless times, but no one had noticed or touched it. I could hardly believe I had my phone back.
Later, as I was thanking God and reflecting on all that had happened, the Lord began to speak to me and remind me of the "clock" He had given me. I thought He had taken it away because I hadn't stewarded the time well. And this is what I believe He said, "I know you think I took the clock away but what if you misplaced it like you did your cell phone? What if losing your phone three times in a matter of weeks is indicative of how casually you treat time? You lay it down here or there with no thought of what happens next. You got your cell phone back each time because you looked for it until you found it. Phones are tangible, but time isn't. It's easy to lose track of time. What if I want you to be as diligent in searching for the misplaced "clock" I gave you as you did your cell phone when you couldn't find it? What if I want to teach you something and I am using your phone to make My point? What if I want you to keep better track of time just like you want to keep better track of your phone? What if I want you to ask Me to help you find the "clock" I gave you just like you asked Me to help you find your phone? What if there is more to learn about time than you realize?
God has allotted us all the same amount of time. What we do with it is partly our choice. We must eat, work, and sleep, but we all have time that is at our disposal. How you view time and what you do with it is something to think about. If you feel like it is always getting away from you, maybe that's your cue to slow down and figure out what is most important or why you can't keep track of it. Maybe God wants you to give Him your time, so He can give you something in return. For me, I would sit down to do something productive, but would find myself being unproductive first. Before I knew it, the afternoon was gone, and I was late getting supper started and I felt like I should have been able to finish my blog or whatever it is I was doing in the time I had set aside for it, and it wasn't getting done. After He gave me the "clock" my time seemed different. I was getting things done and having time to spare. But just like I set my phone down with no thought of what I was doing, I did that with my time. I quit paying attention. I am not in a season of running constantly and I have more time to spend with God and on the things He has called me to do. But that means I have more time to waste and that's what I am being challenged to pay attention to. I'm still not sure what will happen going forward, but I am thankful for the lesson the Lord taught me. I hope I will be more conscious of how I use my time.
When I read the quote by Billy Graham, I realized anew just how in control God is of everything, including time. If He wants to make it seem like you have more time, He can do that. If God wants to show you how to use your time more efficiently, He can do that too. If He wants to give you specific ways to use your time; I hope you will be listening. If He wants to do something entirely out of the box in regards to time, who are we to stop Him? He did it before, and He can do it again any time He chooses. Listen to what He did in response to Joshua's prayer: "On the day the Lord gave the Israelites victory over the Amorites, Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel. He said, 'Let the sun stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.' So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies" (Joshua 10:12-13). Now I am not expecting God to make time stand still, but neither do I want to have the attitude that He never will do anything unusual. Time is in His hands and I believe He is saying, "Come, now is the time to _______" and let Him fill in the blank.
Phillips, Craig, & Dean: Come, Now is the Time to Worship
Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart. Come, just as you are, to worship. Come, just as you are, before your God. Come. One day every tongue will confess You are God. One day every knee will bow. Still the greatest treasure remains for those Who gladly choose you now. Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart. Oh, come. Just as you are to worship. Come just as you are before your God. Come. One day every tongue will confess You are God. One day every knee will bow. Still the greatest treasure remains for those who gladly choose you now. [Repeat] Come, now is the time to worship. Come, now is the time to give your heart. Come, just as you are to worship. Come, just as you are before your God. Come. Oh, come. Oh, come. Oh, come. Worship the Lord. Oh, come. Come, come, come...