He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down (Psalm 104:19).
The fall season feels like it has already arrived on this particular morning, even though it is not officially here until the 22nd of September. Going outside, we are greeted with a strong cool breeze that dipped the temperature enough to chase away any lingering humidity from days earlier, and to remind us that the change of seasons is upon us. School is back in session; football has begun; big yellow buses line up for the opening of school.
Seasons were God’s invention. On the fourth day of creation He said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).
Time helps to bring perspective to our lives. Our lives are predetermined from birth to death whereas the clock is even now ticking down on the time that each has been divinely allotted. Scriptures teach that life finds satisfaction when it finds its purpose in Christ. So that seasons, days and years should not be squandered away with riotous living, nor should we choose self-will and personal interest over time spent serving Christ; in such cases we have only ourselves to blame for lost opportunities. Time can never be retrieved, bought or stockpiled; once it is gone you will never see it again. The Scriptures speak of a man who wished to add to his growing assets and busied himself to the point that it consumed his remaining days, and when he thought he was nearly complete in filling his barns with goods, his time ran out and he died (Luke 12:21). While you may seek for happiness in your work and what it may bring you, it may become a distraction and lead you away from its real value if money and advancement is the only objective. A recent survey poll of over five thousand workers showed that they are unsatisfied with their employment. Not so surprising they sought better working conditions and a better life-work balance over higher wages. Even youth are finding emptiness. When asked about life and happiness one out of four had responded that they had contemplated suicide in the last year. The reason for unhappiness is not so much about circumstances that require change, but has to do with the condition of our hearts. Changes on the inside are needed first before a person can truly experience the kind of fulfillment and joy that Christ speaks about. How this happens can best be defined in Scripture as a spiritual transformation that occurs in the heart where the Holy Spirit regenerates a person and changes that person’s outlook and motives. From that point, the Believer sole objective is to live for Christ.
In the earlier proverb about the man who stockpiled his goods, he did a most foolish thing that nowadays seems commonplace. He was willing to trade what little he had left – time – for something that he already had– wealth – a pitiful exchange at that. We must manage our time better than our bank accounts, because no amount of money can buy back time and the opportunities that come with it. The use of time is about making it count for eternity and a good way to do this is to seek souls and build God’s kingdom. The gospel is given in hope that people are prepared for eternity. Eternity waits and where we spend it will really rest with whether or not we have accepted and believed in the gospel and repented of our sins.