By Cindy Phillips
I was thinking about time today. As far as we can understand, God created time. Chuck Missler explained time as a dimension like this;
Imagine a movie stored on a film reel. To the characters inside the movie, events happen sequentially:
Scene 1 → Scene 2 → Scene 3 → Scene 4
They experience time one moment at a time. But you, standing outside the movie, can potentially see the entire film at once. You aren’t restricted to experiencing the story in the same sequential way the characters are. Missler used this kind of concept to illustrate how God could perceive all of history simultaneously, while we experience history moment-by-moment.
The reason God can accurately predict our future is because He is outside time. In John 13:19, Jesus told His followers “I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am who I am.”
To us, time is linear, which means it had a beginning and it will have an end. Since this is true, how should it impact us as believers in Jesus as Savior of mankind? Ephesians 5:15–16 (ESV) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
Once a day is spent, we can’t get it back. Each day is a treasure (which is why it is call the present :-). We need to treat each day as a valuable opportunity to bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. As James put it in James 4:13–15 (ESV) Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
The Psalmist states in Psalm 90:10–12 The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. Who considers the power of your anger, and your wrath according to the fear of you? So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
There is so much more the Word says about time. I encourage you to study this. I will summarize it like this; we are in the End Times. Each day brings use closer to the return of Jesus. Knowing this, we should be laser-focused on doing the Father’s will each and every moment. With eternity in mind, serve the Lord to the best of your ability. Wait upon Him, asking for direction throughout your day, and be quick to obey. Soon there will be a day when no one can work (John 9:4).