God's Timeless Promise: To the Generation That Seeks Him
"And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away." (Isaiah 35:10)
The ransomed – [Hebrew] Padah פדה which comes from an old Akkadian word 'Padu' to purchase property, including slaves. It is a beautiful depiction of our Savior and as a Messianic reference to Jesus who paid the highest price possible. The essential meaning is achieving a transfer of ownership from one to another in payment. It sings of the Lord's return with joyful shouting to Zion. [Jerusalem] everlasting.
"Those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. “I, even I, am he who comforts you." (Isaiah 51:11-12).
"May all who search for you be filled with joy and gladness. May those who love your Salvation repeatedly shout. (The LORD is great!) (Psalm 40:16). "I will keep my eyes always upon the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest in security." (Psalm 16:8-9). "...Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
“Teach Us to Number Our Days”
It is time to wake up. Funny, when you are watching time it moves ever so slowly, so you think. But when you are very busy, there is never enough time. Time is so evasive, elusive, and time passes when no one is looking. It is like liquid mercury; it seems to just slip away. In the business world, time is money. Or, is it that time and money go hand in hand? Time is always making and creating the money chasers. Rush, rush, rush. They are afraid to miss what they think is perfect timing! (Like missing the boat, it takes off without you) and you are left behind only watching from a distance as the boat and time sail away.
Time is like trying to catch a flying butterfly without a net. Ever so fragile it escapes. Time wears away outer beauty or is that gravity? It pulls everything down over time. It is all brought down and seems to crumble to the ground.
When you were young, time seemed to be on your side. You had youth on your side. Time does seem to play head games. Since you think you have all the time in the world, but you do not! Oh yes, when you were young, tomorrow was just another day—playing in the sun and having fun. You thought and acted as a child. You wanted it now! (When you get it right away by using childish demands, time will create a selfish spoiled child).
Not realizing that good things are worth waiting for—patience is a greatly needed virtue. In order to have a valued sense of meaningful time—time then moves forward. If you wasted your precious gift of time and procrastinated—all of a sudden you find yourself with seeing it from behind. Then time can become your worst enemy. As the choices and decisions you make will have a direct effect on how you have used your God given gift of time——Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock. Time waits for no one. The word of God says, "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12)
We need to be aware of our time. How we spend it, and what we do with it. Remember, time is spiritual eternal money and it is to be well spent. Time wasted cannot be retrieved; as time wasted cannot be saved (It is priceless). It is constantly moving forward. Going backward is like staying in a faded dream that time cannot change. Truly regrets are just a waste of time! As time does not care, it can be a cold hearted-faceless enemy. Tick tock, tick tock, tick, tock.
Tick Tock Where Does Time Go?
Where does time go? Is it possible all time gets trapped and consumed into the immense density of a black hole? They seem to have a never-ending appetite of gobbling up everything that comes near them, especially dense heavy stars.
Time itself takes on many dimensions and levels of comprehension—depending on the circumstances and perspectives it is being perceived. Is time wrapped up in us? Could it be in our now, as time wears away, the body/soul on earth, in a noticeably short-fleeting series of flashes of movements and moments? Turning days to weeks, weeks to months, months to years. Time flies by. Again I say, waiting for no one. It ruthlessly tears down anything and everything in its way. Like the black hole. Consuming and devouring, absorbing our very essence. It seems to be passing in and right through us.
Before we even realize its constant forward—gripping steadfast march, single file, the clock ticks forth, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, second by second, moment by moment, passing ever so quickly—in a blink. “How can this be?" We are now senior citizens in this land below. How fast time seems to go! We cry out Wait! Wait! I want my youth back, I want my body back, I want my youthful mind back. I want a body do-over. (Oh yes, there are plastic surgeons that can do a lift and a tuck here and there to make time appear less than a scar). But sorry Charlie, you may do an outside repair job and think you fool an outside driven youth centered world. However, your inside eternal time clock is ticking away.
In fact, its been ticking away for a very long time. Time is not on your side. Especially when you are already old, it is just a fact. You are just a mist in the grand scheme of the time game. Time is literally wearing you away. The gravity of the future of time is pulling you down to return you to the dust where you were made. So, remember the word of God.
Conclusion
"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). Time is what you do with it. Make the Lord your number one priority and time well spent. You will never regret spending your precious time with the one that created you and time. Time at the masters feet is never wasted. Since God is eternal, He is never-ending. He will always have time—all the time in the world for you. In fact, He will stop everything just to spend time with you. Yes, time is money. But time with your master creator is priceless. Yes, you are God’s priceless eternal time piece. In the end, time =love. Where you spend your time is what you love. Ponder now on how you will spend your time. I pray, it is time well spent. Will your maker say “Well done good and faithful servant” as you willingly gave Him your time? To love the one true God with all your heart, all your mind and all your being. Spend time with the one who created you and pass on your faith to the next generation. This is pleasing to the master of time. God is timeless.
"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn people back to dust, saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death-- they are like the new grass of the morning: In the morning it springs up new, but by evening it is dry and withered. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:1-12)
References
The Holy Bible: New International Version. (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1973).
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