Monday, November 25, 2013
Download MP3 (right click to save)
Back when my sons were teenagers, they both owned a watch, but you would never know it if you looked at their wrist most of the time. Oh they owned a watch; they seldom wore it. Maybe that's typical of teenage boys. I guess kids live blissfully oblivious to time much of the time. Now some people depend on their cell phone, but you've got to pull that out and check it, and I do like to have it on my wrist. A lot of times our boys would have to ask what time it was, and most of the time they would ask a parent.
Now, I have a watch on right now. I'm never without it. If I forgot it for a day, I'm totally at a loss. But I knew that someday soon my boys were going to be men with men's responsibilities, and they will have to care what time it is. That goes with maturity.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Can You Tell What Time It Is?"
Our word for today from the Word of God is about what time it is; Ecclesiastes 3:1 and some other excerpts from that chapter. "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." Some of those times are then given here, "A time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend." God is pointing out here something we know just by looking at nature - that He operates in seasons. A grownup child of God, whatever his age, cares about what time it is on God's clock and then operates accordingly. In fact, you're only asking for frustration when you try to work against what time God says it is, what season God says it is.
Ecclesiastes indicates that there's a time when God wants you to build and to plant and to keep. And then there are other times when He wants you to tear down, to uproot, to throw away. In fact, I believe there are three seasons in God's plan for you and for your family, your church, your organization. Sometimes it's time to cut back. Sometimes it's time to grow. Other times it's time to stand still.
It's probably one of those three times right now for you; time to cut back, time to grow, or time to stand still. In John 15:2, Jesus said, "Every branch that bears fruit He prunes so it will be even more fruitful." That's time to cut back, and those are hard times. But they're designed so you'll produce more than ever before. Maybe God's cutting you back right now. Not so He can hurt you, but so you can ultimately cut loose.
Then sometimes it's time to grow, and those are the fun times. It's time to go out and take risks and leave your safe spot, and don't stay in the same old rut. And then at other times it's time to stand still, to consolidate, to deepen relationships, to gather strength. The frustration and failure comes when we try to move the hands on God's clock.
Maybe He is cutting back right now, but you're trying to push ahead. Or He wants you to stand still and you insist on growing. Maybe He's saying, "Go for it" and you're saying, "Well, it's kind of comfy where I am." See, personal peace is a byproduct of cooperating with God's timing. You'll know by His Word, by circumstances, by prayer, by godly counsel what season it is. Live in His seasons. Cut when He says "cut." Stand still when He says, "stand still." Grow when He says "grow."
When it comes to God's clock for you, can you tell what time it is?