|
Listen to this devotional: |
Listen while you read: "Praise The Saviour Ye Who Know Him"1 (Lyrics) |
Psalm 31:15a – My times are in Your hands. (NIV)
Suddenly, without warning, many of us have been given a gift — a gift of time. If we live in an area that has placed us under stay-at-home orders, we may now find ourselves with unexpected time on our hands. A month ago, we were likely living our normal hectic life, looking forward to a quiet weekend or an upcoming vacation. Now life as we knew it has ground to a halt. Many, of course, such as health care providers, are in crucial positions and must continue their work at a relentless pace. Others are working from home or caring for children who can no longer participate in their normal activities. My life as a retiree, though normally quite flexible, has taken on a very different flavour.
During our normally busy times, we may often wish for some extra free time. We may have a list of unfinished projects, but no time to complete them. Now that our wish for more time has been granted, we have the choice of using it wisely and well or of squandering it. How might we consider using this time in the best way?
To use this gift of time to its greatest advantage, I need to give it some careful thought. It would be all too easy to simply wake up each morning and then simply fritter my day away, randomly dabbling at this and that as I putter around the house. I don't want to come to the end of this mandatory seclusion, however, and look back to see that this time has been wasted. Instead, I need to think ahead and plan some tasks and goals that I'd like to accomplish. I certainly can work toward tidying my house and even doing some deep cleaning and decluttering. I can stay in touch with friends through telephone, texting, and email. I can catch up on correspondence and paperwork. I can read some of the many unread books that I have on my bookshelf. A primary goal could be to spend some additional time in reading my Bible and praying, which will draw me closer to God in spirit. As I pray for others, my thoughts will draw me closer to them.
Most of all, even in this time of disruption, I can maintain some degree of regular routine — though it may be slightly different and at a different pace. I can ask God for wisdom in ordering my day, and then continue on by simply taking the next step, and the next step …
Colossians 3:23a – Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord. (NIV)
Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, You see and know what our circumstances here on earth are today. Despite the disruption in our daily life, may we seek to please and honour You as we faithfully use the time that You have given us. Amen.
Forward this devotional Share this devotional on Facebook Like PresbyCan on Facebook
Although PresbyCan doesn't have a mobile app, you can still have a PresbyCan icon on your mobile phone home screen. 
Thank you.
Amen, Gail. Be safe.
Thank you for sharing this devotional with us. Blessings.
Thanks, Gail. I’m a quilter, so plenty to do. but I hear others talk about watching TV all day, probably the worst thing right now!
Thank you, Gail, for your wise words! Reminders are good, and often needed. God bless and keep you there is Portland.
(BC)
Thanks Gail for the reminder to “faithfully use the time we’ve been given”.
It would be terrible to look back and see ‘wasted’ precious hours and days!
Thanks be to God for this ‘gift’ of time! May we be found to be faithful stewards!
Thank you, Gail, for reminding us to use our time wisely. I expect that there’ll be a lot of housecleaning and decluttering go on that would otherwise have not happened! Being rather elderly I had been having someone come in to clean, but since I’m self-isolating I’m doing my own – just some at a time. Blessings
Hello Gail,
Thanks for another great message. No matter what we face each day through this current situation it is so important that we take the time to honour our Lord and seek His word in reading our Bibles.
Many blessings to you.
(B.C.)
Yours strikes me as the ‘perfect devotional,’ proving that there IS such a thing! Both encompassing and personal. Containing many little hints of what I could be doing (just in case I can’t think of any in the seeming darkness brought on by the shut-down. The reader identifies with you, the writer and sender and feels less alone, more inspired, gifted and comforted. (It’s not just me…). Thank you.
I have come to read your devotional “A Gift Of Time” because of a friend from my church gave me this gift. (I thank her). I could not more relate to almost all of what you say, so I don’t know if this is so much an encouraging word to you but an acknowledgement of the same sentiment or hope. A similar thought was expressed to me by a family member the other day as both a wish for myself and a catching up on things to do of his priorities.
Not wanting to repeat much of your devotional writing except to say that I need to take the first couple steps of planning some and maintaining or starting some better routines, including starting my day in God’s word and prayer, which I find hard to do, but I so like what you say asking the Lord for wisdom in ordering my day, etc. etc., thank you Gail.
Thank you for sharing. Such a timely piece with so much truth in it. I confess I am guilty of frittering the extra time away in many cases.
Thanks for today’s theme! I plan to have a timetable, just as I did as a teacher, maybe that will stop me from wasting time.
May your path today be “splashed with grace”.
Bless you.