The Gift Of Time - Ethan

Remember how short my life is, how empty and futile this human existence! No one can live forever; all will die. No one can escape the power of the grave.

Psalm 89:47-48

“Life’s Paces,” a poem by Henry Twells, makes several observations about the passage of a man’s days on earth:

When as a child I laughed and wept, time crept.

When as a youth I waxed more bold, time strolled.

When I became a fullgrown man, time RAN.

When older I still daily grew, time FLEW.

Soon I shall find, in passing on, time gone.

O Christ! wilt Thou have saved me then? Amen.

Perhaps the essence of godly wisdom is realizing that we are mortal and that God numbers our days. Our time on earth will eventually come to an end.

Ethan, a Levite and court musician, made a similar observation in his own day. Acknowledging that no one had yet figured out how to live forever, he wrote, “No one can escape the power of the grave” (Psalm 89:48).

Ethan was obviously in touch with his own mortality; he was also in touch with his own immortality: “I will sing of the LORD’s unfailing love forever!” (Psalm 89:1).

Ethan grasped the truth that each day he lived on earth was a gift from God. He also knew that the grave would not be his end. He knew how to put his time on earth to the best use by openly praising the God whose love never failed him. Everyone around him heard of God’s goodness: “Young and old will hear of your faithfulness” (Psalm 89:1).

The American poet Carl Sandburg wrote, “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent.”

How are you spending the time God has given you?

God has given you the privilege of living each moment of your life with the knowledge that time is a gift and an opportunity. It’s a gift to enjoy and an opportunity to make a difference in the lives—and the eternities—of those around you.