living room. It hit me again just how fast time is passing. As I listened to my clock chiming
out 11:00am, each chime seemed to say to me, "I'm gone, good bye."
Ecclesiastes 3:1 - 8 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose
under the heaven: A time to be born, and time to die; a time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is planted: A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break
down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn,
and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time
to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to read, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a
time of war, and a time of peace."
Life has its seasons. Time is one thing that will never be stopped until we reach Glory,
where time will be no more. No matter where in life you find yourself, there is something
for you to do. I was talking with my son last night. He is a new father of a 3 week old.
He has entered a new time in his life, parenthood and all the ups and downs that come
along with it. Right now the only thing that he is having a hard time adjusting to is the
lack of sleep! Each season has its own set of adjustments and responsibilities associated
with it.
I'm learning as I grow older to cherish each day, each season more. We are not
promised that we will have a tomorrow. We have to live, love and work today as if
it were our last.
Proverbs 27:1 "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a
day may bring forth."
When I awoke on September 4th of this year, I didn't realize that I would be planning
my husbands funeral that day. "A time to be born, and time to die;" Life can
suddenly make a sharp turn that you weren't expecting. It's when these sudden calamites
are thrown at you, that you find out if you're trusting in your own strength or the Lords.
Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put
their trust in Him."
No matter where you are in life, there are going to be times of great trial and stuggle.
Are you prepared for these times of testing? You don't wait until the storm is upon
you to make sure that your house is sturdy, the cracks caulked against the rain, and
the shutters fastened tight. You are to prepare before the storm comes. It's the same
with our spiritual life. You make sure that you are prepared before the storms of life
start lashing with fury against you.
1. Make sure that your feet are firmly planted on a firm foundation.
Matthew 7:24 & 25 "Therefore whosoever hearth these sayings of mine, and
doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon
that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon rock."
When the winds of adversity blow against my house, I'm glad that my foundation is
the Lord Jesus Christ. When I'm founded on this "Rock" my house will remain firm
and safe in the midst of any storm of life. In 2 Samuel we find this wonderful verse,
"The LORD liveth: and blessed be my rock: and exalted be the God of the
rock of my salvation." The security of my "house" is dependant on the foundation
that it is built on. It goes on to say in Matthew chapter 7, that those that build their
houses on the sand instead of the rock, are foolish, and that their house will not
stand in the storm. What is your foundation?
2. Make sure that your anchor is secure.
Hebrews 6:19 "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;"
When our anchor is the Lord Jesus Christ, there is no storm strong enough to cut
us loose and set us adrift. Living on the coast of Nova Scotia, I've been witness to
some pretty fierce storms on the Atlantic. I've seen the fisherman anchoring their
boats and adding extra moorings so that they are safe during the storms. My anchor
is safe, it's strong and sure. We are anchored to the "Rock," that sure foundation,
that cannot move!
3. Make sure your trust is in God.
Psalm 31:1, 14 "In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be ashamed:
deliver me in Thy righteousness. But I trusted in Thee, O LORD: I said, Thou
art my God."
Do we truly trust God, or at the first sign of trouble do we yank back the controls of
our lives. The God that we trust in the pleasant, easy times, is the same God that we
can trust when the way gets rocky and the way foggy. There is a chorus that goes, "My
Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all I have to do is follow... strength for today
is mine all the way, and all that I need for tomorrow. My Lord knows the way through
the wilderness, all I have to do is follow." When we follow, we are trusting Him to lead
us through the wilderness. How are you doing with the trusting and following? When
we try to go it alone, we will get lost, and end up in trouble and ashamed. The verse
above says, "Let me never be ashamed:" There will be no reason for shame when we
trust God the way that we should.
When we are trusting in our anchor which is secure upon the Rock, we will have no
fear in the storms of life. We all want easy sailing all the time. But it is in the storms
that we find our faith deepened and our testimony strengthened.
We have no need to worry, whether we find ourselves in the midst of a storm today, or
enjoying the calm, peaceful sea. Psalms 31:15 says, "My times are in Thy hand:"
There is no fear when we commit our way to the Lord's keeping. No matter where in
the seasons of life you find yourself today, your time is in the Lord's hand. Don't fret
over the mistakes and regrets of yesterday, don't worry about the possibilities of your
tomorrow, live in the today. The next time you hear the clock chiming out the passing
of another hour, stop and relish the time that God has given you to enjoy your family,
strive to be a blessing to others, pray to have a vibrant testimony for your Savior, and
thank God that He has brought you to today, and trust Him to guide you into tomorrow.
Psalms 143:10 "Teach me to do Thy will: for Thou art my God: Thy spirit is
good; lead me into the land of uprightness."
I set my life by God's great clock,
His time is always right;
He times the wind, the rain, the snow,
He times the day and night.
God times the winter and the spring;
The summer and the fall;
The sun and moon and stars are His,
His hand rules over all.
God times the blossom on the bough,
The flight of every bird and bee;
How safely I may trust His love
To choose what's best for me.
I set my life by God's great clock,
He's never fast or slow,
He plans a perfect day for those,
Who seek His will to know.
God's time is right,
There's none so wise as He;
His hand upholds the whole wide world,
He knows what's best for me.
E. Margaret Clarkson
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