Encouragement for Today - Apr. 19, 2011

April 19, 2011

Time is in His Hands
Wendy Pope

"So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies." Joshua 10:13a (NLT)

Devotion:
Has there ever been a time when you longed for just a little more light in your day to accomplish your tasks? When you need more time, do you ask God for it? After all, time is in His hands.

As we read in today's key verse, God knew Joshua needed a little more time in his day, so He gave it to him.

Joshua and the Israelite armies were in battle against five combined Amorite armies to conquer the land allotted to them after crossing the Jordan. Joshua and his men were tired. The warring for the land had been intense. As the leader, Joshua decided to travel all night for a surprise attack. And then Joshua asked God to hold the sun and moon still so they could fight.

Over a decade ago God called me to radically trust Him with my time and get up each morning before the sun rose to spend time in prayer, and in His Word.

How can I do this? I remember asking the Lord.

I argued: I am a busy wife and mother. The baby is only a few months old. I need sleep.

It never occurred to me to ask God to help me by adjusting my time so that I could walk in obedience to Him as well as take care of all my other responsibilities.

Eventually I obeyed, but not wholeheartedly. My problem wasn't that I did not want to know God better through prayer and His Word. My problem was that I believed I could manage the time in my day better than He could. I believed the lie that told me I was in control, arranged my day, and accomplished much. The lie told me I did not need God for the little details of my day-to-day living. The lie told me I did not need to tithe the first fruits of my day to God. The lie, lied.

Like the Amorite armies were defeated, eventually so was my lie.

Over the last decade I have learned like Joshua, to call on God and ask Him to "let the sun and moon stand still" so that I can accomplish what He has ordained for me to do. It is my desire to be at peace with His timing and not to complete my checklist.

Do I believe He has held time in His hands for me? Yes I do. How can that be? He is God, the great I AM, and the Creator of time. I am just a little "i am not" enjoying the story of God one day at a time.

When you need more time, will you ask God for it? Will you trust Him to hold your time in His nailed-scarred hands?

Dear Lord, help me know You are good and that I can trust You. Remind me today that my time is in Your hands. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:
The Yes, No, and Maybe of a Balanced Life CD by Wendy Pope

i am not, but i know I AM by Louie Giglio

Wendy and over 2600 people are reading the One Year Chronological Bible together in 2011. Join them for the rest of the year by visiting Wendy's blog today.

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Application Steps:
Choose a place for your time with the Lord. Set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier to spend time with Him. Ask Him to help you set your agenda for the day and accomplish what He needs you to accomplish. Record in a journal what God teaches you about your time.

Reflections:
What or who determines my schedule?

What can I do to slow down my pace?

Do I trust God to be in charge of my daily routine? If not, why?

Power Verses:
Genesis 1:3-5, "Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day' and the darkness 'night.'" (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 3:1, "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven." (NLT)

Ecclesiastes 3:11a, "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time." (NLT)

© 2011 by Wendy Pope. All rights reserved.

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