Time
Pastor Amy Lee
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow”
Time is not something that can be stored, borrowed, or transferred. As long as we are alive, we possess this blessing: time. It is a gift entrusted to us, and our responsibility is to steward it wisely.
Time often feels paradoxical in our lives. We can become stressed or anxious when we are hard-pressed for time. Yet at other moments, we look for ways to “kill time” – such as when we are standing in a long queue or waiting during a lengthy airport layover.
Throughout the Bible, time is viewed in two ways: the short shadow of human life, limited and fleeting, and God’s time, infinite and eternal.
The recent sudden passing of a pastor whom I deeply respect has stirred my heart and caused me to reflect on life's brevity, making the words of Psalm 144:4 particularly poignant and true. “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.” This verse reminds us that human life is fleeting, transient like a mist, similar to the grass that withers and the flower that falls.
Origen of Alexandria (AD 185–254) often reads and interprets scriptures symbolically. Therefore, he recognises that the words “breath” and “shadow” are not merely literal, but that the fleeting nature of our earthly life points towards something greater beyond - the eternal kingdom of God.
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God’s word grants us spiritual clarity; it humbles us before a powerful God, reminds us of our frailty, and helps us to pursue life with a wiser, more eternal perspective.
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Very often, our busyness numbs us to the truth that each day is a gift. Our daily tasks, family commitments, work deadlines, and other obligations demand our attention, leaving very little mental space for reflection on life. That is why keeping Psalm 144:4 in our hearts and meditating on it regularly can be helpful - setting aside a few minutes each day to pause and contemplate. Reflecting on this verse will not discourage us nor lead to morbid rumination but instead seeks to reorient our hearts and awaken within us gratitude, mindfulness, and a deeper awareness of what truly matters. God’s word grants us spiritual clarity; it humbles us before a powerful God, reminds us of our frailty, and helps us to pursue life with a wiser, more eternal perspective.
I recall a song from the 80s called "Time" by the late Bobby Michaels, one of my favourite songs during my teenage years. Its lyrics contemplate the fleeting and elusive nature of time, often comparing time to the wind.
Part of the lyrics goes like this:
Time, feel the time
It seems that there never is enough
There's too much time
Time, time is a wind
And just like a child we try to catch it in our empty hands
The wind blows, listenWhat does it mean?
Is it cold like a nightmare or warm as a dream?
Time, time and again we fight it so hard and all the while the time is in His hands
Oh time, time will end
And when it does
You will rest forever in your Father’s hands
This song emphasises the fleeting nature of life and the human struggle to understand the passage of time, likening it to trying to catch the wind. Yet, my friends, when we hold a firm belief that our times are in God's hands, it creates within us a sense of God's closeness. We can find comfort in remembering that our brief and fragile days are held in Him. As Charles Spurgeon said, “We are not in our own hands, nor in the hands of earthly teachers; but we are under the skilful operation of hands which make nothing in vain. The close of life is not decided by the sharp knife of the fates, but by the hand of love.”
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Yet, my friends, when we hold a firm belief that our times are in God's hands, it creates within us a sense of God's closeness. We can find comfort in remembering that our brief and fragile days are held in Him.
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God’s word in Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to realise how short our lives are. Then our hearts will become wise.” As believers, remembering life’s brevity redirects our focus towards God and living wisely. This verse connects the fleeting nature of life with wisdom rather than despair. And since time passes so quickly, we ought to therefore live wisely and do His good, acceptable and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
As God’s clock advances and the end times draw closer, the time entrusted to us becomes increasingly limited. May this awareness ignite within us a greater zeal for God and inspire us to devote ourselves to what truly matters. Let us not waste away our days but consciously abandon the trivial pursuits of life and free ourselves from petty distractions. Amid our busy lives, may we remember that each moment is a gift. And may we live intentionally as authentic Christians bearing the fruit of the Spirit, seeking to love and forgive always, focusing on what truly matters, and giving thanks always to our Lord, so that we may nurture a heart of wisdom.
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As God’s clock advances and the end times draw closer, the time entrusted to us becomes increasingly limited. May this awareness ignite within us a greater zeal for God and inspire us to devote ourselves to what truly matters. Let us not waste away our days but consciously abandon the trivial pursuits of life and free ourselves from petty distractions.
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May we manage our days wisely, so that when we reach the end, we can declare, “I have fought the good fight, I have run the race, and I have kept the faith”.
(2 Timothy 4:7).