Time
In the everlasting "I Am" (Exodus 3:14, John 8:58, Psalm 90:2, Psalm 103:17, Isaiah 43:13) then, now, and when; eternity past, the present, and eternity future; the Alpha and Omega, are one.
Time is not so for His creation.
Psalm 90 "A prayer of Moses the man of God"
v. 2b - From everlasting to everlasting you are God (Isaiah 43:13)
v. 4 - A thousand years in your sight are like a day... (2 Peter 2:8)
v. 12 - Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (KJV ...that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom). (Proverbs 1:1-7, 4, 9:10, Philippians 1:9-10, James 3:13-17)
v. 17 - Establish the work of our hands for us (Ecclesiastes 9:10, Colossians 3:23)
Psalm 31:14-15a (ESV)
I trust in you, O LORD; I say, 'You are my God.' My times are in your hands.
Octavius Winslow "My Times In God's Hands"
http://www.reformedreader.org/rbb/winslow/godshand.htm
Proverbs 4:25
Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.
(Focus on your priorities, and the task before you; don't let distractions trip you up. See Nehemiah 6:1-13)
Ephesians 5:15-16
(ESV) Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time...
(KJV) See then that ye walk circumspectly not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time...
James 4:13-14 (NLT)
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.
Joel 2:23-25 (NKJV)
Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God;
For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you—
The former rain, And the latter rain in the first month.
The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.
"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten..."
Andrew Bonar, Diary & Life, ed. Marjory Bonar, 1893
Solemnized last night when I got a quiet evening at the review of my past life. I have lived fifty-nine years in the world. The review presented causes of thanksgiving and praise without number, and on the other hand, reasons for deep humiliation, bitter sorrow, regret, self-upbraiding.
I got a very awful view of my long life’s sinfulness in the evening. I seemed to myself to be one standing amid the mercies of every kind, but specially divine grace. The Spirit has been, since my conversion forty years ago, nearly continually putting to my lips full cups of blessing, and I have done little else than just take a few drops and then set the cup by! The Bible day by day; precious sermons; great books of truth; the lives of holy and happy saints; events of providence; all, all these, and my own preaching and the ordinances in which I take part; these, these have been each a full cup of blessing put to my lips; but scarcely ever have I done more than merely take a sip.
O what I have lost! O what I have lost! My heart sinks within me. I can only once again put my hand upon the head of the slain Lamb, and look up. The words of Joel 2:25 have been before now a comfort; for in some way the Lord will add that to all his other acts of grace. “I will restore to you the years that the locusts have eaten.”
Marin De Boylesve A Thought for Each Day of the Year, John 6:12 “Gather the pieces that are left over.”, 1877
You should not allow any portion of God’s gifts to be lost. Do not lose one moment of that time allotted to you by God; time so precious, that God only gives it to us in small portions, so afraid is He lest we should want only to squander it. Lose not a single thought, word, or action. If God keeps count of the pieces of bread that were over, how much more will He demand an account of each idle word and the use of our time. (Matthew 12:36)
Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture, Genesis 25:8 “Abraham died…full of years…”
Days and years are ours, that they may give us what eternity cannot take away – a character built upon the love of God in Christ, and molded into His likeness.
Thomas More A Godly Meditation (1534)
To buy the time again, that I before have lost.
William Gurnall The Christian in Complete Armour
Is not God the Lord of thy time? Is it not given by Him to be laid out for Him?
Thomas Case A Treatise of Afflictions
God comes upon the soul as the angel upon Peter in prison (Acts 12:7), and smites us upon our side, and bids us to rise up quickly that we may redeem lost opportunities, and seek to do much work in little time. It is a pity to lose any of our time, a thing that is so precious and so short.
Richard Sibbes The Soul's Conflict With Itself (1635)
The consideration of our long time spent in the devil's service should prevail with us, as to take more shame to ourselves, so to resolve more strongly for God and his ways, and to account it more than sufficient that we have spent already so much precious time to so ill purposes; and the less time we have, to make the more haste to work for God, and bring all the honour we can to religion in so little a space.
In praising God it is not good to delay, but take advantage of the freshness of the blessing. What we add to delay, we take from thankfulness; and withal lose the prime and first-fruits of our affections. It is a wise redeeming of time to observe the best seasons of thankfulness. A cheerful heart will best close with a cheerful duty, and therefore it is not good to waste so fit a temper in frivolous things.
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards (1722-1723)
Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.
Jeremy Taylor Holy Living and Dying in Prayer
Make use of time, if thou valuest eternity. Yesterday cannot be recalled; tomorrow cannot be assured; today only is thine, which, if thou procrastinatest, thou losest, which loss is lost forever.
Thomas Manton By Faith, Sermons on Hebrews 11
When time begins to draw to an end to go into the other world, what would we give to live our lives again? How diligent, watchful, and serious we would be if we had the sense of eternity upon our hearts!
John Flavel Notes on Keeping the Heart
Alas! that Christians should stand at the door of eternity having more work upon their hands than their time is sufficient for, and yet be filling their heads and hearts with trifles.
Thomas Brooks Hypocrites Detected
Your time is short, your task is great, your Master is urgent, and your reward is sure. The devil makes all the haste he can to outwork the children of light—in a speedy despatch of deeds of darkness, because he knows his time is short. He will not let slip any opportunity whereby he may do mischief. Oh may you not let slip any opportunity wherein you may honor a good God, and be serviceable to your generation.
Time is not yours to dispose of as you please; it is a glorious talent that men must be accountable for as well as any other talent.
George Swinnock The Christian Man's Calling
The time is short, the task is large, the work is important. We must shake off sloth and gird up the loins of our mind, to pursue godliness with industry against all opposition, to persevere in it with constancy, and make it our main and principal work.
Richard Baxter
A Christian Directory
I am large about redeeming time because therein the sum of a holy obedient life is included.
Place a high value upon your time, be more careful of not losing it than you would of losing your money. Do not let worthless recreations, idle talk, unprofitable company, or sleep rob you of your precious time. Be more careful to escape that person, action or course of life that would rob you of your time than you would be to escape thieves and robbers. The loss of time is no small part of the enemy's victory.
The Saints' Everlasting Rest
Much time has much duty. Beg for grace to improve your time, and be content with your share. Life that lacks in length may be made up in breadth, weight, and sweetness. Christ went this way. You are not entering an untrodden path.
C.H. Spurgeon Treasury of David on Psalm 19:2 "Day unto day (they) uttereth speech..."
It should be among our day thoughts and nights thoughts to remember the flight of time, the changeful character of earthly things, the brevity both of joy and sorrow, the preciousness of life, our utter powerlessness to recall the hours once flown, and the irresistible approach of eternity.
Horatius Bonar God's Way of Holiness
A wasted life is the result of unredeemed time. Desultory working, impulsive giving, fitful planning, irregular reading, ill-assorted hours, perfunctory or unpunctual execution of business, hurry and bustle, loitering and unreadiness - these, and such like, are the things which take out the whole pith and power from life, which hinder holiness, and which eat like a Canker into our moral being, which make success and progress an impossibility, either as regards ourselves or others.
F.B. Meyer "Numbering Our Days" on Psalm 90:12-14 "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. O satisfy us early with Thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days."
The heart of wisdom will show itself in giving God a just proportion of our time. Every day it is wise to set apart time for the reading of His Word, for prayer and holy fellowship; in every week it is wise to reserve a seventh part for His holy service. It is specially wise to make God to be our Guide, that He may show us how to use this precious thing called life. Apart from Him all our desire to use our time aright will be in vain, but when the soul walks in fellowship with God every action tells, every day adds something to the growing power and influence of existence. Nothing is little, nothing trivial, nothing unworthy, if your soul holds fellowship with God. Then will come satisfaction and gladness, and the work of our life will be established by the Divine Hand.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Letters and Papers From Prison
Time is the most precious gift in our possession, for it is the most irrevocable. This is what makes it so disturbing to look back upon the time which we have lost. Time lost is time when we have not lived a full human life, time unenriched by experience, creative endeavor, enjoyment, and suffering. Time lost is time not filled, time left empty.
Andrew Murray The Prayer Life
There can be no converse with a holy God, no fellowship between heaven and earth, no power for the salvation of the souls of others, unless much time is set apart for it. The life of grace entirely depends on the time men are willing to give to it day by day.
A.W. Tozer We Travel an Appointed Way
In a world like ours, we need to master the art and keep at the business of dismissing distractions.
Samuel Johnson, Prayers and Meditations, November 19, 1752, “After Time negligently and unprofitable spent.” O Lord, in whose hands are life and death, by whose power I am sustained, and by whose mercy I am spared, look down upon me with pity. Forgive me that I have until now so much neglected the duty which Thou hast assigned to me, and suffered the days and hours of which I must give account to pass away without any endeavor to accomplish Thy will. Make me to remember, O God, that every day is Thy gift, and ought to be used according to Thy command. Grant me, therefore, so to repent of my negligence, that I may obtain mercy from Thee, and pass the time which Thou shalt yet allow me in diligent performance of Thy commands, through Jesus Christ.
Charles Wesley “Away With Our Fears, The Glad Morning Appears”
My remnant of days I spend in His praise,
Who died the whole world to redeem:
Be they many or few, my days are His due,
And they all are devoted to Him.
Joseph Alleine Alarm to the Unconverted
Here is one more day for God; now let us live well this day, work hard for our souls, lay up much treasure in heaven, for we have but a few to live.
Thomas Guthrie, Saving Knowledge: Addressed to Young Men, "Made Holy", 1870
Let (this) day see some sin crucified, some battle fought, some good done, some victory won. Let every fall be followed by a rise, and every step gained become, not a resting place, but a new starting point for further and higher progress.
Thomas Manton A Practical Exposition of the Lord's Prayer
This day (working or resting) I am going to live with God.
William Arnot in Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth, 1859, on John 11:9 "Are there not twelve hours in the day?"
The very fact of a Christian being here, and not in heaven, is a proof that some work awaits him (this day).
CAUTION
Rest is a necessary use of time.
Mark 6:31 He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” For many people were coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.