"Lighting the Fire"
Jotting – Week 19

Give Time

Time: When God created the world, He set it into motion within the context of time. Into time, He placed Adam and Eve. In time He made a covenant with Noah and one with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. In time, God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt and built the nation of Israel. In time, God established kings and sent prophets.

God even chose for His Son to spend time on this earth for our redemption and sanctification: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

Time is God’s gift to us. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says:
To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
                   Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

God wants us to use our time wisely: “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, Which, having no captain, Overseer or ruler, Provides her supplies in the summer, And gathers her food in the harvest” (Proverbs 6:6-8).

He gives us work for our hands to do: “I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor–it is the gift of God.  (Ecclesiastes 3:10-13).

God has prepared tasks for us for His kingdom: “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

While we labor here on earth, we know that “a thousand years in [God’s] sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night” (Psalm 90:4). We may live the 70 or 80 or more years that He gives; the Lord may take us to our heavenly home long before that. No matter how long our years, we can pray with the psalmist, “So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom. ... Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! ... And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands” (Psalm 90:12, 14, 17).

When we give the gift of time to others, we are giving them a gift the Lord has bestowed on us:
          taking the time to listen to another’s heartache;
          using time to teach little ones the Word of God and so pass on the faith;
spending time in prayer for those God places on our hearts and minds, for those in leadership positions, for those new in the faith or being persecuted for their faith;
finding time to visit with neighbors and tell them the Good News of Jesus;
scheduling time to worship each week with other Christians;
making time to hand out Scripture portions;
creating time for a mission project;
establishing time to go on a mission trip;
laying out a time for Bible study with others;
sharing time with others in a meal for the opportunity to reveal Jesus;
planning time at nursing homes, hospitals, in homes where people are hungry for companionship, the Word, and prayer
Add your own: ....

“Then [Jesus] also said to him who invited Him, ‘When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just’” (Luke 14:12-14).

“Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share,  storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19).

Each week has 168 hours. How will you use your hours for God this week?

Pray: O Lord, You know the time You have given us here on earth. You know how long we have to tell others the Good News of salvation in Jesus. By the power of Your Spirit, help us to use our time wisely, to build up Your Kingdom through the work You have given us to do. Where we have been idle, misusing and abusing time, forgive us. Help us take heed, to watch and pray. Give us wisdom to see and use the opportunities for giving the gift of time to others.  Fill us with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to Your glory and praise. In the strong name of Jesus. Amen.