Lord, I am a master at wasting time! The older I get the more I realize how easy it is to let life just slip by, and the older I get the faster it seems to go. All I can think of is that line from Macbeth:
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded time, And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then is heard no more. It is a tale. Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.
That reminds me of Ecclesiastes—life can be so meaningless, and futile. Yet, You have put us on Earth for a reason. The problem is that most of us live for ourselves rather than for You. It is so easy to wake up, rush through my quiet time, and then spend the day pursuing my own agenda. It is so hard to find the proper balance. I know I need to re-read Practicing His Presence again, and I think it’s time to do a little reading on time management—perhaps revisit “Tyranny of the Urgent.” Even though I imagine that the things I am doing are important, at the end of the day there is often very little fruit. I feel like one of those talking heads on TV—spitting out words, but accomplishing nothing. Please help me order my days. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 31:14 “My times are in your hand…” In an overall sense that is true, and it is also true that You are faithful to complete what You started in me (Ph. 1:6). However, I have been given free will to choose your way or mine everyday, and too often I choose my own way. Please forgive me. Help me! I feel so overwhelmed sometimes—like everything is meaningless. Only You can redeem my time, and give meaning to life. I so appreciate the moments when You slip in and amaze me with your goodness in spite of me. I ask You to do that today. Once again I willingly yield to You, for You are Life itself. Help me live in your abundance today.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted in your life my child (Ps. 46:10). The key to victory is love—first for Me and then for others. Return to your first love, and let your life flow out of that. Even if you manage to do many good things in a day, without love they are meaningless (1 Cor. 13:1-3). Once again it will come down to spending time in worship. In my presence your heart will be changed and renewed. It is not enough to check Bible reading and prayer off on a checklist. It is not enough to study Scripture, even for hours on end. What counts is faith working through love (Gal. 5:6), and you cannot operate in love until you have been in my presence. Come dear child, let Me hold you. Let me quiet you with my love, and rejoice over you with singing (Zep. 3:17). Remember those quiet times with your babies? You sang to them and held them. You were in no hurry to run to the next thing—you simply rejoiced over them. You are my child, and I rejoice over you. Join in my song today. Worship my child. In my presence there is fullness of joy, and meaning that overcomes the futility that comes so naturally.