"My Times Are in Your Hands"

I am at the blog a little earlier than usual this week...like many on the east coast, I have been house-bound for the last few days as a result of the snowstorm last Friday and Saturday. Here in my neighborhood, we really didn't get all that much snow, around 6 inches - but there is a thick layer of ice underneath the snow, which has definitely complicated matters. Many of our church people who live in outlying areas received as much as a foot to 17 inches of snow, which is a lot for around here.

We were supposed to be having Ladies Bible Study this morning, but we had to cancel it at the last minute  because the overnight freezing temperatures turned all the slush into an icy parking lot and sidewalks at the church. So here I am, sitting at the computer, sipping a cup of hot coffee and still in my pajamas! The lesson I was going to be teaching today in our ongoing study on Disciplines of a Godly Woman was about the use of our time. After the decision was made to cancel class today, I spent a LONG time reading and studying more on this subject, and all I could say was "Thank you, Lord! If it were not for this canceled class, I would have missed this!" So although this will be a little preview for the ladies in my Bible Study class, I am confident that these are the thoughts the Lord wants me to share with you this morning.

The first thing is about dealing with changed plans and interruptions...a topic about which I had to laugh, considering what happened this morning. We don't like it when the unexpected happens. We (okay, I) really like to have a plan, and to have the day go according to my plan. God's timing is perfect, but often it doesn't seem that way to us. The first thing I have to remember to ask is, "Whose day is it?" Is it my day, or is it God's? Psalm 31:15 says, "My times are in thy hands..." That includes the changes and interruptions! Isn't it true that changes and interruptions to our plans are just as much from God as our original plans are? Romans 8:28 says that ALL things work together for good to those who love God...to include those things that are unexpected in our eyes. Elisabeth Elliott says in her book Discipline, The Glad Surrender: "Lord, when there are interruptions, it seems that the disposal of my time that I had planned so well has slipped out of my hands. Help me then to remember that it has not slipped out of yours." Can I just say that I LOVE this?

The second thing I would like you to consider is the example of Jesus. Have you ever thought about the endless demands He had on His time while He was here on this earth? There was no end to the people that needed healing, taught, ministered to. And yet at the end of His life, he said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) This is NOT the same thing as saying He finished all He wanted to do! He is saying He finished all He was GIVEN TO DO. There is a huge difference, isn't there? We get frustrated and say we don't have enough time to do all we want to do....but there is always enough time to do what God wants us to do. We have to be discerning about how He wants us to spend the time He has given us. That is why it is so important to remember that our times are in His hands, and to pray with the Psalmist in Psalm 90:12 "Lord, teach us to number our days so that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom!" We are very prone to spend our time on the things we want to do and don't give enough consideration to the things God wants us to do.

I hope these thoughts resonate with you as they did with me. God has given us the gift of time. It is up to us to use it to His glory.

Before I sign off today, I thought I would share with you a picture - not of the snow because I am sure you have seen plenty of those this week. This one is of spring! I purchased this bouquet at Trader Joes for $4 before it snowed, and I am so glad I did! It's a breath of spring beauty!

In His Service,
Kathi