Boundaries of Time

Welcome friends,

This post is part of the Christian Writers Blog Chain for August and the topic is Memory. I incorporated this topic with a series on Boundaries. I hope you enjoy my take and please visit the rest of the gang listed on the right side bar. Peace and Blessings!

“There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). We live in the confines of time, we remember our past, but we cannot see the future the way God does. Time is part of God’s creation whose purpose defines the physical realm.

Outside of time, God is everywhere at any moment without restraint in another dimension known as the spiritual realm. God sees everything as if it has already occurred. Having this understanding, we can know that the future prophecy's given to us in the Holy Bible are reliable because only God controls time.

The scripture frequently uses the phrase, “at the appointed time,” meaning  things occur on time and on schedule according to God’s plan. When the disciples questioned Jesus about the time of His return, He replied, “The Father sets those dates” (Acts 1:7). Even the time and place of our birth has a significant purpose. We may never know how intricately our lives are intertwine with the rest of creation, but God is multifaceted and glorious beyond our comprehension.

The Lord also brings comfort to us in the confines of time, when he said, “For I know the plans I have for you” declare the Lord. “Plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). We should rejoice in the knowledge He has good plans for us, but with triumph also comes hardship and trials.

We live in a fallen world with evil all around. It's not easy to believe for goodness and prosperity when all we see is trouble. People who we trust betray us, lives are ended much too soon and evil seems to get the upper hand. Thankfully we have the future promise of a new heaven and new earth.

When our memory is overwhelmed by loss and lack, remember the promise. “Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid of them! The Lord your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you or forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

There is nothing in all creation that does not exist without purpose. Time has its purpose and it will bring glory to God.

Chosen

As part of Christian Writer's Blog Chain, this month's topic is " Celebrate" I hope you enjoy!

Growing up I always dreaded playing sports. It's not that I didn't like sports or playing games, but those with the best skills were snatched up first, everyone wants to be picked to play on the winning team. I don't know about you, truthfully I never had much confidence in my abilities and as name after name was called, my anxiety grew. No one wanted to be the last called, otherwise known as the “Mercy Pick.”

It should be comforting to know that God chose us first, before the foundations of the earth. It was not based on our performance, but His love for us (John 15:16). Every single hair is counted (Matthew 10:30). Every day is numbered. He knew everything we would do before a single day had passed (Psalms 139:16). Still He chose us to play on His team.

When we think of all those great hero’s of faith that have gone before, we may not feel as if our life could possibly mean as much, but in deed it does. We have the benefit of hindsight as historians recant the tale of their lives within a few pages, but they lived and breathed as we.

Those hero's experienced the same uncertainty, hardship, betrayal, trials and victories that we do in our daily lives, yet we consider the steps they took as brilliant or somehow knowing they would succeed, yet they had no more insight than we, they just walked by faith trusting the Lord for the outcome.

The Lord has called each of us to be on His team, not based on our abilities but on our faith in Him. “For when we are weak” surrounded by flesh, “then we are strong”, built in faith (2 Corinthians 12: 8-10).

The Lord takes a great amount of pleasure in blessing us. So let us celebrate being surrounded in God's love and strengthened by the courage that we have been picked first!