Daily Devotionals
Wednesday, May 1, 2024 (Paula)
Time.
Having a couple kids in the peak of their track seasons right now reminds me how much every second matters!
We have one running in college and one running through the spring season of her senior year of high school. (A Tom Cat and a Lion)
There seems to be a daily chatter around our house and on our family group text about how much “time” matters…
“Our relay team beat the school record by 1.2 seconds!”
“I missed my PR by less than a half a second.”
“We were 2 tenths of a second faster than last year”
“He beat me by 4 tenths of a second”
And so on!
The value of seconds matter in racing!
The real deal is the value of stewarding our time well and how much it matters to God!
Are we wasting time in fret and worry? Are we allowing our social media to rob hours of our time? Are we rushing through everything and living in nothing? Do we need to do some inventory on our own management of time? Do we need to pray about priorities— where God wants to re-direct, grow us, and send us forward?
Me!! I do!! I need this!!
The fact is, we DONT have all the time in the world. We don’t know how much we have left.
James 4:14 refers to our lives as a mist (vapor)
“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.”
The psalmist said “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 The New Living version puts it this way, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”
And psalm 39 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.”
Want to see wisdom in setting priorities? Watch the way a brave believer in Christ measures and spends their days when they know they are facing a terminal illness.
If only we would measure our days with the same intention.
“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Col 4:5. Wise people maximize their time -even in their relationships with others!
I stumbled across this poem, and I can’t seem to find the original author. But it does offer a lot of perspective as we consider the value of moments in time.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a course.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the child who was forgotten to be picked up.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a traveler who just missed a flight.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask the driver who just avoided a car accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the athlete who won a silver medal at the Olympics.
If life is truly just a vapor, treasure every moment you have. You might not have a white flag indicating your last lap on the racetrack of life, but I encourage you to live like it’s your last go-around and savor every turn!
Time.
It’s a gift-
a very precious God-given resource.
Let’s ask the Lord to help us use it wisely- for His purpose and glory!
Better Together
Paula
Having a couple kids in the peak of their track seasons right now reminds me how much every second matters!
We have one running in college and one running through the spring season of her senior year of high school. (A Tom Cat and a Lion)
There seems to be a daily chatter around our house and on our family group text about how much “time” matters…
“Our relay team beat the school record by 1.2 seconds!”
“I missed my PR by less than a half a second.”
“We were 2 tenths of a second faster than last year”
“He beat me by 4 tenths of a second”
And so on!
The value of seconds matter in racing!
The real deal is the value of stewarding our time well and how much it matters to God!
Are we wasting time in fret and worry? Are we allowing our social media to rob hours of our time? Are we rushing through everything and living in nothing? Do we need to do some inventory on our own management of time? Do we need to pray about priorities— where God wants to re-direct, grow us, and send us forward?
Me!! I do!! I need this!!
The fact is, we DONT have all the time in the world. We don’t know how much we have left.
James 4:14 refers to our lives as a mist (vapor)
“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.”
The psalmist said “So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 The New Living version puts it this way, “Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.”
And psalm 39 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.”
Want to see wisdom in setting priorities? Watch the way a brave believer in Christ measures and spends their days when they know they are facing a terminal illness.
If only we would measure our days with the same intention.
“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” Col 4:5. Wise people maximize their time -even in their relationships with others!
I stumbled across this poem, and I can’t seem to find the original author. But it does offer a lot of perspective as we consider the value of moments in time.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a course.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the child who was forgotten to be picked up.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a traveler who just missed a flight.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask the driver who just avoided a car accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the athlete who won a silver medal at the Olympics.
If life is truly just a vapor, treasure every moment you have. You might not have a white flag indicating your last lap on the racetrack of life, but I encourage you to live like it’s your last go-around and savor every turn!
Time.
It’s a gift-
a very precious God-given resource.
Let’s ask the Lord to help us use it wisely- for His purpose and glory!
Better Together
Paula
