What Time Is It?

In Gulliver's Travels, the Lilliputians had never seen a pocket watch until Gulliver arrived. They said, "We conjecture it is ... the god that he worships ... because he assured us that he seldom did anything without consulting it ... and said it pointed out the time for every action in his life."
 
We often hear (and sometimes say): "I don't have enough time"; "Time just got away from me"; or "I'll do that when I have more time." How much of our time is governed by clocks, watches, and calendars! Often, when we eat, sleep, and go to work or school is determined by what time it is. The heart of the wise man is continually listening for direction from the Lord. When we keep God's commandments (which includes reading our Bible, praying, and meditating), God will help us to understand what time it is.
 
Discernment is not only knowing WHEN to do something but also HOW to do it. Solomon wrote that there is "a time to every purpose" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). What time is it? Is it time to reach out or just to pray for someone? Is it time to work or to rest? Is it time to speak or to be silent? To not know the physical time might cause us to miss an important appointment. How much more serious if we fail to know what time it is spiritually! We might miss an opportunity to witness to a lost soul, strengthen a discouraged saint, or have God help us with a spiritual struggle.
 
Instead of being governed by the clock and the calendar, let us be guided by the One who created all things. Only He truly knows what time it is!

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.
​— William Penn