Committing Time – Spending Time – Dedicating Time – Wasting Time – Investing Time – Allotted Time – Future Time – A Moment In Time – Eternity

There are over 25 Hebrew words for time in the Old Testament and similar amount of Greek words in the New Testament. Time can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people in a lot of different ways. Take for instance the word chronos:

John 14:99 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

Time here refers to a fixed period of time or a season. Jesus had spent a long time — individual time — with Peter and yet Peter didn’t know who He was. Now, granted, Peter did not yet have the Holy Spirit but he had the Son. Could Jesus ask us the same question today and what would be our answer?

How about Paul’s use of the words kairos and hora:

Rom 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Here kairos is speaking of an occasion, a set time or an opportunity and hora adds shortness to the period; i.e. “high time.” In other words, we know the season and what it means so therefore it’s high time for us to wake up. Where are we today as the “season” is well at hand? How’s our relationship with the Lord? Are we like the bride in her chamber, wrapped up in her warm bed, sheltering herself from the world outside? What about Matthew’s use of the word hora:

Matt 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

And finally, what are we doing with our time? Are we prepared for the convenient time, the time of need or the opportune time? How did Timothy use the word eukairoos:

2 Tim 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Are we ready for the well-timed response with the Word of Truth? Are we ready because we have valued our chronos, our kairos or our eukairoos? Jesus wants us to know how important our time spent with Him is because He knows how much we need it:

Heb 4:15-16 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Let me share with you something the Lord told me many years ago with regard to time that I have never forgotten … because He frequently reminds me!

Early one morning last week I sat down on the patio to spend some time with the Lord and as I usually do I looked up into the foothills and thanked Him for the time He has given me to enjoy all that He had created. As the song goes … God may not live in Colorado but He sure spends a lot of time down there. As I sat there He reminded me of those times I wrote about recently (What I Want) when the world had caved in on us and the cold winds of winter howled at the door. We had nothing and nothing to give.

God has given both Diane and me a giving heart and in those days to see the collection plate pass by without anything to give was a real burden for us (and it’s happened more than once). Many give in response to Malachi 3:10 and Luke 6:38 and we both honor those scriptures but for us it has simply been the joy of giving when and where the Lord has directed us. Time and time again when we have been presented with a need the Lord has given each of us the same amount to give. There really has never been any disagreement and that has made giving an even greater blessing. Well back then it was frustrating. I remember many times asking God why, if He had given us a heart to give, we had nothing to give. That’s when He gave me one of my most treasured lessons.

He asked me what went into the collection plate … I said “money.” He asked me where the money came from … I said “by working.” He asked me how the amount of money was determined … I said “by the jobs I do or the hours I put in on the job.” Then He said a strange thing:

So it’s not about money then is it? You view value from your perspective and not from Mine; your “first fruits” from your perspective and not from Mine. Money is only the token received for the true value — time. When I look at the first fruits I never look at them in terms of money. I look at the time it took to earn that money. So if it is time that I value then why don’t you consider what you are investing your time into? Each day you remain on earth encompasses 24 hours. How do you spend them? Do you tithe 10% of your time, do you give your church 2.4 hours each day, do you give me 2.4 hours each day? When you hurt because you have no money to put into the collection plate I rejoice because of the time you invest in your relationship with Me; the time you and Diane invest in My Kingdom. I notice every minute you invest in your church, in teaching, in serving others and in worshiping Me and in our relationship. When you add up that time it comes to far more than 10%. Never forget, I don’t need your money, I desire your time… the one thing you alone can give me. If I have your heart I don’t need to worry about your checkbook.

I’ve thought about those words many times and what they have meant in our lives. As times changed and got better financially there was more money to put into the collection plate. But with that came the potential to forget the lesson He taught me. We can never use money in place of our time spent with Him. If we are blessed to be able to give then rejoice because that is what the Word tells us to do and God loves a joyful giver; Malachi and Luke both spoke under the unction of the Holy Spirit. But wherever He has us in our Walk With Him we can’t forget that He is measuring our first fruits with the one thing that matters more to Him than all the gold and silver in the world… time. How are we using what He has given us?

I have this CD and wish I could share this song with you but couldn’t find it on the Internet (it is on iTunes). Let the words sum up my thoughts. They have been speaking to me for a long time. Let them speak to your heart about… time.

I saved this time to spend with you
I leave all behind, this is what I must do
You are my need no one else can fill
Remove far from me the voice of my own will

I take this time, I need this time
I long for time, so I can worship you
I long for time, so I can hear from you
I long for time, to say I love you*

Time – “Songs From the Source” – Joe Sabolick