Length of Days


image001A View from the Nest

Random Ramblings from the Resident Raptor

Insight from the Journey across the Sky

>Pr 1 (RSV) My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;2 for length of days and years of life and abundant welfare will they give you. Proverbs 3:1-2

Springtime...
Image by bfcfranco via Flickr

Ah yes, spring is in the air. The days are starting to get longer and the sound of the song birds are again gracing the air. Flowers are starting to sprout everywhere I look, and dark threatening storm clouds are being replaced with the lazy fluffy-white clouds of spring.

 

I am so glad each year when spring rolls around. The dark grey nights of winter so dampen my spirit that I can hardly wait for spring’s arrival, when those dark nights give way to the much brighter spring days. The icy cold winter air is gradually replaced with warm spring-time breezes. Ah yes, springtime!

I guess the thing I like most about springtime is the longer days. I could not imagine living in a place that got less than eight hours of daylight each day. I can not imagine how those who live way up north can handle long periods of darkness. I enjoy the sun. I enjoy the warmth of it, the brightness of it, the glow it gives the earth. I am not a sun worshipper but I surely do prefer daylight to nighttime. I guess you could say I am a child of the light. J

Anyway while driving the other day I came to realize that the days were getting longer and I thought of this verse from Proverbs that speaks to length of days. I do not know about you but I really like long summer days when the sun remains in the sky ‘til way past eight o’clock in the evening. To be able to come home from work and still have several hours of daylight left to enjoy before night sets in, is a real treat.

The “spring time” of life should be relished and enjoyed because the darkness of old age moves fast upon us. When we remember to put God first in our life, and to honor His word and His ways, He promises us ‘length of days’. I am not saying it will be endless “springtime” but it surely sounds like the long, cold, dark, nights of winter will be kept at bay, at least in a spiritual sense.

I like taking God at His word. I have read and heard of the wonderful things he has done for those who put their full trust in Him. Therefore, I am claiming my extended spring time and the abundant welfare he promises. There is only one catch. I have to keep His commandments. With my whole heart, I have to obey His word. Then I will be able to see the length of days, full of the sunshine He promises in his word.

God causes the sun to rise and He surely can extend the daylight hours in our lives if we let him by adhering to His commands. If you take time to stop to think about what His word commands us to abstain from, they are all things we should avoid because they bring about a shortening of life. Wisdom dictates then if we obey the Lord’s commands things should go well with our life.

Of course even during the summer we have the occasional summer storm, but it is still nice to know that the sun will remain in the evening sky far later then it will during the wintertime. That is comforting. Let the length of days begin. J

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

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Length of our days: Focus on Judaism and the personal life


Redeeming Time: Tick tock goes the eternal clock


Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord obeyed the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel. Josh 10:12-14 (ESV)

Take care then how you are living, not as unwise, but as wise; Making good use of the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:15-16 (BBE)

The Big Ben, London, view from across the Thames.
Image via Wikipedia

“There is an old tale of a village that bought a fancy tower clock. Some time after it was installed, a visitor to the town discovered that all the people were sleeping during the day and working at night. When he questioned them about this, they answered, “We have the most unique town in America. After we got our new clock, we began to notice that the sun kept rising earlier and earlier every morning. Finally the daytime hours were dark and the night hours were light. We are petitioning the President for special recognition as the only town in America with such a situation.”

As it turned out, of course, the new clock had been running slower and slower, all because sparrows were roosting inside it. The people allowed themselves to be controlled by this manmade device. The tyranny of the clock robs us of our enjoyment of life and sometimes makes us tyrants over others. Daily hassles become the norm “Hurry or we’ll be late! You’ve only got five minutes!” Is this the abundant life Christ offers?” Ruth Ann Ridley, “Learning to Live in the Limits,” Discipleship Journal (Jan/Feb 1983)

ImageTomorrow  night we turn our clocks ahead to accommodate Daylight saving time. I really do not fully understand why we mess with the clocks. I mean does the sun follow our foolish attempts at regulating time? Are our attempts to elongate our lives

Spring Forward The Annual madness of daylight saving time
The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time

changed by manipulating a clock? I mean- for real. Does our changing of the clocks have any affect on life at all? I know this for sure, when the clocks spring ahead one hour I sure could use the hour I lost sleeping. In the fall it is not so bad because turning them back an hour affords me an additional hour to sleep. I am well aware of the fact that there are more important things in life than sleeping, but it still does not change my point. I see no real benefit, nor detriment, to just leave the clocks alone and go with the flow. In fact some reporter somewhere, says the time we waste setting all our clocks back and forth has an adverse effect on the economy. I do not know about all that, but I sure do know it has an adverse effect on my body when it does not get enough rest. Can we not get along just fine by leaving the clocks alone? But what do I know, I do not get paid big bucks to make major life decisions so I will just turn my clock back and forth and deal with it.

Daylight saving time may not be a big deal but time is marching on. No attempts on our part can stop the clock totally. One could argue that Daylight saving time is a biblical mandate considering God made the sun stand still for one whole day after Joshua prayed. Now that my friends is real daylight savings time. At that time in Israeli history the Amorites gathered to

Changing to Daylight Saving Time and Other Absurdities in Life. A Collection of McHumor Cartoons
Changing to Daylight Saving Time and Other Absurdities in Life. A Collection of McHumor Cartoons

battle Gibeon which had made a peace treaty with Joshua. Coming to their rescue, Joshua prayed that the daylight would not falter until they were able to defeat the enemy. God honored that prayer. Our feeble attempts to replicate that miracle, results in, well, nothing really changing. We may feel better because we adjusted our clocks but in the end, time still marches on.

I do not know about you but my internal clock gets all mixed up during the spring ahead- fall back cycle. I no sooner get all set with the time shift in the fall then I have to readjust my eternal clock to the new time shift in the spring. Back and forth I go, resetting the old internal clock. Getting regulated to know just when it is time to arise from sleep and get about the day’s business. This constant setting and resetting seems to be more bother than it is worth. I fail to see any real benefit to all this time shifting.

“No one knows when that day or hour will come. Even the angels in heaven and the Son don’t know. Only the Father knows. Matt 24:36 (GW)

“Therefore, be alert, because you don’t know on what day your Lord will return. Matt 24:42 (GW)

As bothersome as it may be to readjust my internal clock, there is a more important clock ticking. God’s eternal clock measures how much time

Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time
The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time

remains until the end. At the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry, when asked when the end time would come, Jesus answered and said that no one knows that day or hour. He went on to say that you must be ready at all times because you do not know when it will be. God is surely keeping track of all things going on upon the earth. He is watching as the eternal clock is approaching the midnight hour. He and He alone is able to reset the clock to advance the time or delay His coming, but in no way do we have any control over the only clock that matters. Some of us may fall asleep before that time comes. Some of us reading this article may still be alive when He returns but all of us need to be ready, for we do not know when that time will be.

So, last night I reset my clock to give me an additional hour of sunlight this evening. If I am still around come fall I shall advance the clock an hour forward to regain the hour I lost. Perhaps I should pray like Joshua prayed, that time would just stand still until everyone had a chance to get saved. I think that may be something worth fighting for. Don’t you think? Resetting that clock may be of more importance than saving an hour of daylight.

Tick tock goes the eternal clock, Will you be ready when the alarm sounds?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)