IN A TIME, AND IN A TIME MORE

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV © 2011)

In this Holy Season of Lent, we ponder life just a little bit more. Why do things happen as they do? Why did Jesus have to suffer so horribly? Why did my spouse die just when we were ready to finally live? Why can’t I ever get that great job?

In Ecclesiastes we read that God will make all things beautiful in his time. In Diane Ball’s beautiful hymn we sing: "In His time, in His time. He makes all things beautiful, in His time. Lord, please show me every day, As You’re teaching me Your way, That You do just what You say, In Your time." (© Copyright 1978 Maranatha)

When life has taken a detour from our planned route, sometimes that’s hard to accept. But, God never promised that beauty would come in our tome. The name of Jesus has been made blessed in the hearts of people around the world—but it didn’t happen in a flash or in a wish. It happened in a promise. God turned that terrible time into the greatest blessing of Eternity. And, in Ecclesiastes 3:11 we find that God even puts Eternity in our hearts, whether we realize it is there or not. How does that happen?

Diana Ball’s second verse reveals that mystery. "In your time, in your time. You make all things beautiful in your time. Lord, my life to you I bring, may each song I have to sing, be to you a lovely thing, in your time. Be to you a lovely thing, in your time."

When we surrender our life to the Lord, and live within his time, life becomes beautiful. We may never know how the Lord God uses us, in our time. But, God is outside of time. It may only be in Paradise that we meet those we have touched in our time. When we give our will to God, we operate in his time - with eternity in our heart.

We have the power of forgiveness within us to get a glimpse of Eternity while still on Earth. If we forgive the spouse who divorced us, the parent who abused us, the friend who betrayed us, we actually get to peek behind the veil and see the Eternity that resides in us. Let this Easter Season be the time we give up blaming others or blaming God for Life. Seize Life by the wings and give it as a thank-offering to God Almighty. Let us live in his time. Let us pray:

"Father God, I don’t understand time and how you can be there in the past, the present, and in my future—but you are, because you are the one true, Holy God. I bow before the face I now see as the great I am - He who lives. You are who you are, inside and outside of time—in a time and in a time more. In this sacred season, as I remember your son, Jesus Christ and invite him to live within me, I accept the promise that you have already placed Eternity there. Forgive me when I do the dance of doubt—giving, then taking back, only to give you my heart again in another time. Today, I choose to take my hands off my life and give you my heart—it is done. Holy, holy, holy are you Father God. I will make my home in your time, in your kingdom, in your Eternity, from this day forth. In the precious name of your Son, Jesus the Christ, I pray. Amen"

Doris "God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."
Copyright 2013 Doris Gaines Rapp

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