June 3, 2009
Time is in His Hands
“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:
Do you need more time in your day? Has there ever been a day when you needed just a little more light to accomplish your task? If you need time, ask God for it. Time is in His hands.
In today's key verse we find Joshua in need for a little more time in his day. Joshua and the Israelite armies are in battle against five combined Amorite armies to conquer the land allotted to them after crossing the Jordan. Joshua and his men are tired. The warring for the land has been intense. As the leader, Joshua decides to travel all night for a surprise attack. We find Joshua asking 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".
I obeyed, but not wholeheartedly. 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.
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 Southern Kings were defeated, so was my lie. Over the last decade I have learned to call on God like Joshua to "let the sun and moon stand still" so that I can accomplish what He has ordained for me to accomplish. 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.
Will you trust Him to hold your time in His nailed-scarred hands?
Dear Lord, help me know You are good. 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 1000 others are reading the One Year Chronological Bible together. Join them for the last half of the year by visiting Wendy’s blog.
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 your schedule?
What can you do to slow down your pace?
Do you trust God to be in charge of your daily routine? If not, why? If yes, praise Him for His work in your life.
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)
© 2009 by Wendy Pope. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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Matthews, NC 28105