| Good morning everyone, Our theme for this month: “How to inhabit time” Our Bible verse for today: “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 3:11-13 (NIV) Our thought for today: “He has made everything beautiful in its time” In his book by the same name as this devotional series, “How to inhabit time”, author James K.A. Smith offers an insightful commentary on Solomon’s thoughts in Ecclesiastes 3:11-13: “In this word picture, time is a frame for things to flower. It’s not merely a question of everything finding its slot in the calendar, but creation brought to fruition in time, unfurling and unfolding all its possibilities to attain the beauty always latent there.” “Time is a frame for things to flower … creation brought to fruition in time, unfurling and unfolding all its possibilities to attain the beauty always latent there.” I love that. When Solomon and Smith say that each moment is pregnant with the potential for beauty, they mean that each moment is a frame within which the purposes of God can unfold and flourish. Thinking of our moments in that way should create within us a sense of hope regarding the possibilities In recent days we’ve been considering the Biblical imperative of living productive lives filled with meaningful activities. Productive lives and meaningful activities aren’t limited to things like performing brain surgeries, or going off on exotic international mission trips, or even serving meals at the local homeless shelter. Instead, this is simply about embracing each moment for the gift from God that it is, and then making smart decisions about how to best use that moment. Maybe the answer in any given moment will even be to do nothing. That’s okay. Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to take a nap. We do need to rest and relax. But as author Phillip Brooks cautioned us in yesterday’s devotional, it’s easy to waste our time on the husks and trappings of life, and miss life itself. We’re not expected to be busy and productive all the time, but neither should we waste large segments of time with trivial pursuits and in meaningless activity. Everything is beautiful in its time, and each moment is precious and valuable when used as God intends. God bless, Pastor Jim |
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