Weekly Devotionals – 21 March 2022

“Carpe Diem” is a Latin expression meaning “pluck the day.” It is a call to seize the day or to seize the opportunity. Why should we seize every opportunity that comes our way? It’s because time is like a relentless stream that rolls-on swiftly. Once it passes, it is gone forever. The Greek language has two terms that are translated time in the Bible. One word is “Kronos” where we get the word chronology or chronograph. It speaks of the physical time, the 24 hours each of us has in a day. The other word is “Kairos”, better translated as opportunity. It refers to the contents that fill our “Kronos.” They are the activities that we do in the time we have that will help us make a difference in life. That’s why Paul urged us in Ephesians 5:16 to make the most of our time by redeeming the opportunity. 

Time has its beginning in the Sovereign God. Before He created the world, there was no time. It was just a long stretch of endless eternity. The moment God brought the world into existence, time began. Conscious of it or not, nothing happens outside of the will of God. In Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 we see 14 pairs of couplets to show that God through time covers every aspect of life in human experience. A time to be born and a time to die, speak about the whole range of human existence. A time to weep and a time to laugh, encompass a whole range of human emotions.

God is the keeper of time. He is in total control of all our time, and He regulates the hours, the minutes, and the seconds of every day. Nothing can happen to us outside of God’s supervision. There is not a moment of our life that God is not aware of. Not only is God in control of time completely, but He is also the regulator of time. In Him, there is precise orderliness and that tells us that He is a God of precision. He does things just at the right time. There is no misplaced activity with God. 

Time is in God’s hand. He is the author and finisher of it. What should we do with time and its whole range of activities? Since we are exhorted in Ephesians 5:16 to make the best of our time, how can we act on this exhortation practically? Here are a few for our consideration. Firstly we must take God’s timing into consideration as we plan the activities of our life. Secondly, we seize each moment and maximize it, knowing that once that moment passes us, we can never have it back. Every second wasted is every second lost forever. Thirdly, we make sure that we profitably use every moment. Don’t squander each moment in mindless activities that lead us nowhere. Consider what Psalm 90:12 says, “Lord, teach us to number our days aright so that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” Tuck it in your heart and let it guide your walk. Make each day, and each moment, count for God.