If I Could Put Time in a Bottle

"Trouble we suffer will bring us a tremendous and eternal glory, much greater than the trouble. For we fix our attention, not on things that are seen, but on things that are unseen. What can be seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen lasts forever" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

God created time. Though it sometimes seems as if our calendars, mobile devices, and alarm clocks do, it is actually God who controls time. All those tools can do is measure the time as it passes.

God created time and he uses it to direct and guide us into walking with Him. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). While we tend to think in terms of days or  weeks, God wants us to get our eyes on eternity.

Speaking of time, where does God want us to be in 10 years? We won't be able to name a city, state, and country, but there are things we can be sure of.  He wants us to be further from the devil and nearer to Him in 10 years than we are today (James 4:7-8). What should our priorities be if we want to get to where God wants us to go? Getting there is about making the "small" right choices that get us closer by the day. The road to heaven isn't paved with big events or programs, but with humility and service to our loving God.

Time is just a temporary tool God is using to bring us into eternity. What if you only have ten years to live? Would you set your priorities differently? But here's the tough question: What stops you from setting them like that now?

Time moves faster than we think. When I married my Jamie almost 13 years ago, I thought, “Wow, how am i already old enough to get married? Where does the time go?” And now, in what seems like only a passing moment, we have a 6 and a 3 year old.

So, what will you do with the rest of the time that God gives you with your family?

What about the time He is giving you to serve Him?

----Darrell Powell