What Time is it For You?

By Pastor George Sarkodie
Executive Pastor

 What Time is It for You?


In the Bible, there are several cases to support the fact that time is an essential element and a great gift from God. For instance, at the time of creation, God created the sun and the moon, and assigned them the duty to control times and seasons.  
Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and year” Gen. 1:14

I am sure you would agree with me that, in life, a person cannot just do anything at any time. For instance, it would be very awkward to put on summer wear in winter.
This is because God has designed times and seasons to help us determine what should and should not be done. in other words, times and seasons determine activities.
From this perspective, the success or failure of many, if not all activities in life are largely determined by the times and seasons in which they were done.  

Once again, let me use the weather scenario. For those of us living here in Northern Alberta, we know very well that planting gardens in an open field in winter is equal to embarking on a useless adventure. Because there is no way one could see a beautiful garden in a -35 degrees weather (Please correct me if there are exceptions 😊)! So, garden-lovers would always wait until spring. This example demonstrates the inherent power of times and seasons according to the design of God.

Again, time is not only defined and understood in generic terms like in the example I gave about when to plant gardens. Time has both generic and specific dimensions. Within generic time, there is specific time. Let us see some examples of, and differences between generic and specific times.
 

 Generic Time

• is for all     
• Determines collective activity
• Presents collective challenge
• Presents collective reward

Examples.: Year, month, day, hour, minute, winter, fall, summer, spring.
 
Specific Time

• Is for you
• Determines individual activity
• Presents individual challenge
• Presents individual Reward

Example: Time to: start a business, travel, write a book, develop a new skill, end a career, end a relationship, etc.
 
 
 
Jesus and Time
Jesus lived for 33 years on the earth, but it is important to know that He was very particular about how time influenced his life decisions. Let us look at these verses:

• “You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come” John 7:8
• “Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father” John 4:21
• “Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world” John 11:9
•  “Then Jesus said to them, “my time has not yet come, but your time is always ready” John 7:6

Jesus defined what he did and did not by time! He was careful to discern what time it was for Him at every moment of His life. So, within the generic time for everyone, He knew His specific time.

What time is it for you now?
So, for you – as a child of God and a kingdom citizen, what time is it for you now? What has God been putting on your heart these past years, months, or days to which you must respond? Could this not be the right time for you to step out into that purpose? And, you know something, however this may apply to you, always remember that there is enough grace and provision for every season. That is why Ecclesiastes 3:11 says “He has made everything beautiful in its time” Time determines the beauty of everything.

I pray for you and encourage you to identify what specific time is it for you now and step out into it.  There is enough grace to make that thing beautiful. God bless you.