AUGUST 9

Time to Take Time

Ecclesiastes 9:11-12

THERE IS MORE TO life than increasing its speed.

Years ago, Cynthia and I got snowed in by a winter storm. The rain that fell by the buckets here along the coast turned into a mild snow-and-ice blizzard in the mountains. Temperatures dropped to the mid-twenties up there. The wind howled with gusts up to forty miles an hour where we were for a couple of days. And suddenly in the midst of it all, our electricity went on the blink. No lights. No phone. Only a fireplace to keep us warm.

Everything was put on hold because we had no power.

As I stared into the flickering flame, a line from Solomon’s journal flashed across my mind:

I have observed something else under the sun. The fastest runner doesn’t always win the race, and the strongest warrior doesn’t always win the battle. The wise sometimes go hungry, and the skillful are not necessarily wealthy. . . . People can never predict when hard times might come. Like fish in a net or birds in a trap, people are caught by sudden tragedy.

ECCLESIASTES 9:11-12

Most times, less is more. Clearly, it was the Father’s sovereign will for Cynthia and me to deliberately stop striving, stop rushing, stop fretting, stop whatever. We did. I’m glad.

It shouldn’t take a blizzard to get you to power down your world. There’s so much more to living than going faster and gathering more stuff. I urge you to reevaluate your priorities in the light of God’s Word today. Sit for an extended period in silence before the Lord. Open His Book. Read a psalm. Pray with your spouse. Seek Him together. I promise you will never regret taking time to rethink your life. God is on your side . . . and He has given you everything you need to reorient your life, no matter how long it may take. God works the night shift, too. And He never gets sleepy. So, stay at it. Take all the time you need.