For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries wait for it; for it will certainly come, it will not delay.  Habakkuk 2:3

You may often hear people say, it’s only money. But, I can honestly say I’ve never heard people say it’s only time. We value our time. We are used to instantly connecting internet which puts a world of information at our fingertips. I heard on the radio yesterday that people hate to wait. A study showed that people became agitated after waiting 26 seconds at a stoplight. They became agitated after 14 minutes waiting for food in a restaurant. We just don’t want to wait. We want what we want and we want it to be waiting there for us, not us waiting for it.

But as Christians, we must learn to trust in God’s timing. This is not always easy to do, because sometimes God tells us that we have to wait. Now I recall a funny thing about my life as a teenager. I hated it when I asked for something and my parents would tell me to wait or perhaps they would even tell me that they would think about it which meant that I had to wait to get an answer. But, I never minded asking them to wait when I was instructed to do chores or clean my room. Funny how that works isn’t it?

We do the same thing with God often times don’t we? When we go to Him for something it is sometimes an emergency as far as we are concerned and we want it right away. However, when He calls us to Him or calls us to give up our sin or calls us to do the right thing or to serve Him according to the talents He has given us, we tell him to wait. We will get around to it. We will do it later.

We are told in Isaiah 40:31 that if we wait on the Lord, we will renew our strength. I don’t know about you but sometimes I am running full steam ahead and sometimes I am so busy doing the Lord’s work that I forget that I need to wait on the Lord. I forget Psalm 46:10 which tells me to be still. Sometimes I have a hard time doing that. But it is in my stillness that I grow in the Lord. It is in my stillness that I can hear what He is telling me. It is in my stillness that my strength is renewed and I am allowed to finish the task that He has set out before me. But we don’t like to be still because we think it wastes time.

The thing about time is that we can waste it or we can use it wisely. While some people may say that they are buying time what they really mean is that they are stalling. They are stopping just long enough to try to figure things out, these people are usually trying to do it all on their own and without God’s help. With God’s help, they would know to wait for His perfect timing.

When you think about it our whole life is a matter of time. So I ask you today, what will you do with the time you are given?  Will you waste it? Proverbs 6:9 says that wasting time brings about poverty. Ephesians 5:16-17 tells us to make the best use of our time because the days are evil. It tells us that we should not be foolish but know the will of the Lord. The only way you can know the will of the Lord is to be in close relationship with Him. When you are in close relationship with Him, He reveals his will and makes us mindful of His timing. It is during these times that we can hear Him when He tells us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Colossians 4:5 also tells us to make the best use of our time.

We are told that our lives are like puffs of smoke, we are here today and gone tomorrow. I hate to say this, but I have lost quite a few friends recently. Some younger, and some older. But in most cases their deaths were sudden and unexpected. None of us know how much time we have on this planet. I looked in the obituaries just the other day and was shocked to see the number of young people which had died recently in our area. By young, I mean 60 years old and younger.

So, what will you do with the time you have left on the planet? Hosea 10:12 tells us that it is time to seek the Lord that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. The best way to handle time is by seeking the Lord and allowing Him to guide you. Stay close to Him and heed his call to be still because at times He simply wants us to be still and watch Him work. Trust in His timing even when you are impatient, know that God’s timing is always perfect.

And most importantly use the time He gives you wisely.

Have a great day!