Daily Devotionals

'Every Day Light' with Selwyn Hughes

Devotional: September 26th

For Reading and Meditation:
     Ecclesiastes 3:1

Solomon turns his attention to the consideration of time. Who can define time? Longfellow asked, "What is time?", and then went on to say that although time could be measured, it could not be clearly defined. One of the best definitions of discipleship I have ever heard is: "Discipleship is what a person does with his time." Imagine someone who loves you puts into your personal bank account every day the sum of ,440, with the stipulation that you have to use it all every day, and anything left over will be cancelled by the bank. Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? However, Someone who loves you puts into your life every day 1,440 minutes - the gift of time. The same condition applies - you have to use it all, and anything left over is forfeited. Ask yourself: How do I manage my time? Do I squander it, or see it as a sacred trust? Solomon's point is to show how life on this earth breaks down into measurable spans. Take a look at how things happen, he seems to be saying, and you will see a controlling schedule behind all things. Does not this in itself suggest that a loving God presided over the circumstances of life? Kierkegaard said: "Life has to be lived forwards but it can only be understood backwards." Pause now for a moment and reflect on how the things you worried about a year ago look so different with hindsight. Aren't you aware that an eternal God has been marshaling your progress in this tunnel of time?

O Father, help me to see the issue of time not as a burden, but as a blessing. I want to use my time wisely, but not to become so obsessed by it that I can't stop and smell the roses. Keep me sanely balanced in all this. In Jesus' Name. Amen.