Good morning, everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Live long, live well”
Our Bible verse for today: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)
Our thought for today: “There is enough time for everything”
King Solomon (a very wise man) tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that there is a time for everything and there is a season for every activity under the sun. It’s in the Bible so it must be true, but many of us reading this right now find it hard to believe that it is true. That’s because many of us live life as if there isn’t enough time. We live like we’re trying to cram ten pounds of stuff into a five-pound bag. Our lives are bulging at the seams with stuff spilling out over the top because there’s just no room for it all.
In one of my articles that I mentioned in yesterday’s devotional, “Room for the Singing of Angels,” I explained that many of us fill our lives right to the outer edges with activity and we leave no room or time to hear the singing of angels. In that article I make the case for intentionally constructing buffer zones of quiet inactivity which allow us the space and time to sit and reflect as the Holy Spirit renews and restores our exhausted souls. The idea is to structure our lives in such a way that we are not always hurried and frazzled and worn out.
Yesterday I also referred to God as “a three mile an hour God” who walks with us through life at a relaxed pace. God is not the author of confusion and frenzy, nor will He give us more to do than is reasonable and good for us. That’s one of the points of application of Solmon’s lesson in Ecclesiastes 3:1. There will always be plenty of time to do the things that God wants us to do. If you’re rushing and stressed and always in a hurry, you’re probably moving faster than He wants you to.
One of the factors discovered in the study of the Blue Zones is that many people who live long and well, have learned to downshift the pace of their lives. They’re intentional about reducing the amount of activity and noise they allow into their lives. They structure their days in such a way that they have time for quiet reflection and relaxation. They’re the kind of people who manage their time well and plan to arrive early rather than late, so they don’t have to rush.
There will always be plenty of time to do the things that God wants you to do. If you find yourself always rushing, it’s a pretty good bet that you are out of sync with God and either running ahead of Him, or you’re trying to do too much.
So, slow down, relax, and enjoy life. Doing so is good for you and it’s one of the keys to living long and well.
God bless,
Pastor Jim
(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville
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