"And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness 'night.' And there was evening and there was morning--the first day" (Gen. 1:3-5). God created time for this world, and as part of this creation, our physical bodies are bound by it. Our minds also, are captive to schedules--most of our jobs, our meals, school, sports, television, church, are all on schedules. Our watches, cell phones, and clocks on the wall control everything from when we get up to how long the cookies stay in the oven. We can't comprehend life outside of time.

Even though time can often seem like a curse, it is really a blessing. The Psalmist compares Everlasting God to brief humanity: "Lord, You have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. You turn men back to dust saying, 'Return to dust, O sons of men.' For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. You sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning--though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. We are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your indignation. You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence. All our days pass away under Your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years--or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due You. Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:1-12).  Man's lifetime is indeed short compared to God, but not short enough to keep us out of trouble. 

The Psalmist continues: "Relent, O Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on Your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as You have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May Your deeds be shown to Your servants, Your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us--yes, establish the work of our hands" (Psalm 90:13-17). As we consider the "snipets" of our time, each morning we need to feel the love of God, and we need His guidance and direction. 

Two things are definite here: 1) Our days are bound to a God who is not bound by days, and 2) Only His work will last. 

It grieves me when I think about how much time I waste every day. One of my favorite quotes is from Japanese labor activist and Christian Toyohiko Kagawa: "I read in a book that a man called Christ went about doing good. It is most disconcerting to me that I am so easily content with just going about." How many of us spend most of our time "just going about"? We are responsible to be, as Christ, "about our Father's business."

Although the physical body is bound by time, man was created for eternity. Each of us will spend eternity somewhere, and there are only two choices: heaven or hell. Jesus taught:

Lord, please satisfy me each morning with Your unfailing love, that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days, and establish the work of my hands. Amen