Bible Society of South Africa

A time for all things - 1 November 2023

By Ewald Schmidt

Bible text(s)

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses.

Ecclesiastes 3:1GNBOpen in Bible reader

Our life on earth is a journey. We are walking the path of life daily, with all the opportunities and challenges it brings. I had the privilege to walk the Pilgrimage of Hope, from Uniondale to the St. Blaize Lighthouse in Mossel Bay, in September this year. On this journey, like previous experiences on the Camino de Santiago, I had some time to reflect and ponder on my own journey of life.

Sometimes, it feels as if the pace of life keeps on increasing and, later on, spins out of control. The challenges of everyday living just keep on growing. We are living in a world where performance is everything; time is money. There are so much to do and so many things that I am interested in. My diary keeps on overflowing and it is a struggle to find an open spot for another appointment. Do you also feel this pressure? Deep in our souls, there is a voice that calls out: Enough! What are you doing? Are all those things you are busy with, really necessary? Is this what the Lord has put on your path for you to do? Or are you playing the game for the applause of another crowd?

In this month’s Verse a Day, we are going to spend some time thinking about the times in our lives. We will think about what God asks us to do. We will ask his guidance and wisdom in identifying the best ways to spend our time. And we will also ask his wisdom to recognise those things that steal our time and joy in life.

May we discover again that our hours, days, months and years are precious gifts from the hand of our Father. May we, like Paul exhorts in Ephesians 5:16, make the best use of every opportunity that God may give us. May our time management and God’s eternal planning be in harmony!

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you are the eternal God, you rise above time and space. Thank you for creating me in the here and now, that I may live today to your glory. Thank you that my life is a gift from your hand. Help me to make the best use of it that I possibly can. Amen

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