Do You Know What TIME It Is?

Have you ever pondered the importance of TIME in your life?  I heard something the other day on a conservative talk show about how much people depend on their time pieces.  From wrist watches, to smart phones, to pendants and clip watches… it seems like we just can’t make it through the day without regularly checking the TIME.

Many people… maybe most people… like me… have a permanent tan mark outlining the shape of their wristwatch on their right or left wrists.  Mine’s a smart watch… that basically measures almost everything in my life, including my personal sleep patterns… which means that it tends to only come off when I shower in the morning!  It’s kind of like my ankle socks tan lines just above my ankles that doesn’t even fade out during the few months of the year… when I don’t wear shorts! --- But that’s a whole nother story which has given my kids many opportunities of laughter… the few times I go barefoot each year!  (But I have to laugh at the payback… as my older son is now going through the same ridicule from his kids!)

I was thinking about the importance of TIME in my own life on a recent walk and realized that I have purchased at least 7 wrist watches over the past six years… starting with a quick stop at Walmart for an inexpensive time piece as my younger son, my dog and I got on the road to Oklahoma following my wife’s and my five years stay in North Carolina… and lastly, with the new smart watch I bought just last month.

Come to think of it... I also went through a period of TIME when I had a thing for unique wall clocks after we bought the house in North Caroliina… Let’s see… I have a Mustang clock that sounds off with the engine sound of every Mustang year from 1964 ½ to 2013, an illuminated, bar-style Chevrolet clock, 2 San Francisco Giant’s clocks, a kitchen clock advertising home-brewed coffee, a “Dad Can Fix It” workshop clock, a big multi-colored plaque H-O-M-E dining room clock that I bought for Piper, a round brass ship’s clock and a few more.  But you get the idea… TIME is important to me… maybe too much so at times!

As I studied my Bible this week, I also discovered that TIME is important to God.  Among many other examples, in Psalm 59:10 we’re told that God “shows up on TIME.”  Psalm 107 declares on 4 occasions just how “He gets us out of trouble in the nick of TIME.”  While Proverbs 6:4 warns us not to “procrastinate, for there’s no TIME to lose.” 

The New Testament begins talking about TIME with the story of the 3 Wise Men in Mark 2:10 who,

“Could hardly contain themselves: (for)They were in the right place! (and)They had arrived at the right TIME!”

And ends by warning us in Revelation 22:10 exclaiming,

"Don't seal the words of the prophecy of this book; (ie; our Bibles) don't put it away on the shelf (for) TIME is just about up.” (all TIME verses in today’s post are from The Message Bible)

But the verse of Scripture that really captured my attention with a joyful and personally challenging ring to it was from Psalm 33:1 where David encourages you and me with a word of poetic praise saying (or maybe even SINGING to us),

“It’s TIME to sing and shout for joy!  Go Ahead, all you redeemed (Christian) ones, DO IT!  Praise him with all you have, for praise looks lovely on the lips of God’s lovers.” (MSG) 

One reason I particularly like this translation of this verse, is that God always seems to draw… for me… a direct parallel between the tangible, heart-felt, united, covenant love that my wife and I developed and enjoyed over the 48 years of our relationship… with my tangible, heart-felt, covenant and ever-deepening relationship with Him.

I mean… I LOVE to talk about my wife… and tell the world about everything when she was here and maybe even more so now that she’s up in heaven with Jesus.  When I think of her, I want to SING out the praises of all that she meant to me and SHOUT for joy that I got to be with her from my teenage years through the beginning of the senior season of our lives.

And when it comes to my personal relationship with Jesus… Well… I want to do the same thing about Him… because He… and my life with Him… is exciting, powerful, rewarding… and soooo very satisfying! 

Wouldn’t you agree when it comes to your personal relationship with Him?

Then… TELL the WORLD all about it!  With all the topsy-turvy things that are going on in the world right now… the TIME is right and most people are in the right TIME of their lives to hear all about the only ONE who can bring real peace, joy, grace and hope to them… no matter what scary things the headlines are declaring in this day and TIME!

So now… when people ask you if you know what TIME it is… you can excitedly declare “YES I Do!” and then let His light shine through you… as you give them the TIME of their lives by opening up to them, Jesus’ message of LOVE!

Well… my smart watch woke me up a little after six this morning by telling me that it was TIME to be charged!  SO… after waking up with a wild look on my face wondering who was talking to me in the dark bedroom… I finally realized what was going on… plugged the phone into my computer and got it back up to a 100% charge…

And with that… I’m all charged up and ready to go for the day!  How’s your day going?

Are your TIME pieces talking to you?