Your God rules over time
Many assume they understand time. Many consider time to flow linearly, only one way, at one constant pace. But we have an Almighty God.
Since we are in the world, we are often limited to thinking within the constraints and limitations of the world.
But as children of God, through Him, we have a certain degree of power over time.
Here are powerful scripture-based insights that will empower you. By intentionally thinking on these, you can develop a victorious mindset about your Heavenly Father’s lordship over time.
Here are a few dimensions re. time that every Christian ought to know and can consider aspiring for! Get to know these possibilities. Earnestly desire them.
1) God is beyond time2) For God, time spans don’t matter
3) At God’s will time stands still
4) God makes time travel back
5) God accomplishes much in no time
6) God knows the end from the beginning
7) God reveals the future to the chosen
8) God accelerates all seasons in a day
9) God restores lost time
10) God restores the lack
11) God is the restorer of the celebration time
12) God makes us encounter the right person at the precise time
13) God makes time travel possible
14) God provides an abundance of fruitfulness
15) God uses time to prune hearts and lives
16) What should you do with the time you have?
17) What should you do now, do today with your time?
18) Why is it important for Christians to understand time?
1) God is beyond time
God is eternal. Here are various Bible verses pointing to this.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God. (Psalm 90:2 NKJV)
Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable. (Isaiah 40:28 NKJV)
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty. (Revelation 1:8)
The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. ( Psalm 119:160 NKJV)
2) Time spans don’t matter to God
For God, a thousand years or one day looks the same.
But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. ( 2 Peter 3:8 NKJV)
3) At God’s will time stands still
He can make time stand still. In this instance, God helped Israel to be victorious over Israel’s enemies. Joshua asked God for the Sun to stand still over Gibeon, and the moon in the Valley of Aijalon. God answered this prayer.
So the sun stood still,
And the moon stopped,
Till the people had revenge
Upon their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord heeded the voice of a man; for the Lord fought for Israel. (Joshua 10: 13-14)
4) God makes time travel back
King Hezekiah was granted 15 additional years to live by God. He wanted a sign from God as proof. He wanted a difficult sign. So God gave the King a sign of the sun dial going backward.
Behold, I will turn the shadow [denoting the time of day] on the steps or degrees, which has gone down on the steps or sundial of Ahaz, backward ten steps or degrees. And the sunlight turned back ten steps on the steps on which it had gone down.
5) God accomplishes much in no time
God completed the creation in 6 days and rested on the 7th day. It’s based on this that we have a sabbath day of rest every week. Here is the verse.
Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (Genesis 2:1-3 NKJV)
6) God knows the end from the beginning
God knows the specifics. He knows what matters from the very beginning. He does not have to wait to know what the end is.
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’ (Isaiah 46:10 NKJV)
7) God reveals the future to the chosen
God told Anna the widow, as well as Simon, that they would get to see the Savior. They waited eagerly, with great expectation, and saw the faithfulness of God. Yes, God reveals matters to his chosen people, people who earnestly hunger and thirst for an encounter with God.
In this scripture, you can read that Simon knew before time what Joseph and Mary, had not known about Jesus. Do you desire to have such foreknowledge – knowing things before time, having an encounter with God?
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”(Luke 2:25-35)
We also read about Anna, who was a widow, very old. But God chose to reveal to her; many others did not know. Nothing, including age, matters; when you have a great desire to encounter God, He fulfills the desire. He reveals matters ahead of time. He gives the encounter desired and makes their life fulfilled.
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:36-38)
Don’t mind, even if you are young, you don’t need to become old for an encounter. Rather, age does not matter; young and old, earnestly desire an encounter with God.
8) God accelerates all seasons in a day
God accelerates all seasons in one day for His chosen. Yes, in magnificent ways, He is Lord over time. It does not matter if you are frail and weak, and even dead situations can be brought back to life.
When a leadership struggle arose, Moses had asked each tribe to bring a rod from each father of each tribe, including Aaron’s rods. These dry rods were placed in the tabernacle – in the presence of God. The names of the tribes were written on each rod before placing. Moses told the next day that the rod that blossomed would be chosen as leader. And the next day, we see that no change was observed in all rods but one. Aaron’s rod had an acceleration of growth – all seasons of the year left their manifestation on it – had sprouted and brought forth buds and produced blossoms and yielded [ripe] almonds.
7 And Moses placed the rods before the Lord in the tabernacle of witness.
8 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses went into the tabernacle of witness, and behold, the rod of Aaron, of the house of Levi, had sprouted and put forth buds, had produced blossoms and yielded ripe almonds. (Numbers 17:7-8 NKJV)
Then said the Lord unto me, Thou hast well seen: for I will hasten my word to perform it. ( Jeremiah 1:12 KJV)
9) God restores lost time
God restores even lost time. What you may consider as the lost years, your God can restore to you.
24 And the [threshing] floors shall be full of grain and the vats shall overflow with juice [of the grape] and oil.
25 And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten—the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you.
26 And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. ( Joel 2:24-26 AMPC)
10) God provides during the time of scarcity
Even in times of war, recession, famine, or any scarcity, you do not need to lack any good thing because your God is almighty. Your resources are supernatural as you trust in God.
The widow in Zarephath to whom Elijah was asked to go during famine in the land was starving and getting ready to die. But God’s provision was unlocked, and continued to provide for them as she obeyed the prophet’s instruction from God.
13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.’ ”
15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.
11) God is the restorer of celebration time
At the wedding, the wine got over. It was going to be shameful, and all at once, the wedding party was likely to grind to a halt! But God’s supernatural provision came that way. As the caterers obeyed the instructions of Jesus, the jars of water were transformed into superior wine in a few minutes. Ordinary wine takes 3 to 4 months. Whereas superior wine takes at least a few years.
7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and [a]manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. ( John 2:7-11 NKJV)
12) God makes us meet the right person at the precise time
The Chief Financial Officer of the Ethiopian Queen was reading the book of Isaiah on his chariot on the way from Jerusalem to Gaza. See how our God brought Philip to Him – the right man at the right time to help him understand the passage. Philip explains the passage to the CFO after riding with him for a while. Thereafter the CFO desires to be baptised, and Philip obliges. At the pool of water on their way, Philip baptises him. How beautiful is the timely intervention of God.
26 Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. 27 So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, 28 was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8: 26-30 NKJV)
13) God makes time travel possible
Philip was on his way, while God directed him to the CFO of Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. Philip obeyed when God directed him. You can see that soon after baptizing the CFO – popularly referred to as the Ethiopian eunuch- Philip had time traveled to Aztos.
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea. ( Acts 8:38-40 NKJV)
14) God provides an abundance of fruitfulness
God gives us times and days of fruitfulness.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
“They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream… It never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)
There are times and days when there is a super abundance of harvest; there is an overlap of activities
“Behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord,
“When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
And the treader of grapes him who sows seed;
The mountains shall drip with sweet wine,
And all the hills shall flow with it.(Amos 9:13 NKJV)
15) God uses time to prune hearts and lives
When our hearts are not right, God, who loves us, desires, in our best interest, to mold us and shape us. Ultimately, He desires people who are ready to receive blessings, not people who are not prepared for blessings. The Israelites were going through the wilderness from Egypt to the promised land; their hearts were not renewed – being complainers – not obeying the laws and commands of God. The 11-day journey ultimately took 40 years. And the generation that started from Egypt could not go to the promised land except a few – only a new generation could cross over to the promised land.
These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. It is eleven days’ journey from Horeb by way of Mount Seir to Kadesh Barnea. (Deuteronomy 1-2 NKJV)
16) What should you do with the time you have?
From the 15 points mentioned above, we understand that time is in God’s hand, His will, and His purposes. Whereas we, as God’s creation, are subject to time.
Yet God has a specific instruction to us. He wants us to be wise regarding our usage of time and not to be foolish concerning the way we waste our time. We are asked to redeem our time.
See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16) The Greek word used in “redeeming the time” is kairos (not the literal seconds, minutes, and hours); rather, this means a specific opportunity. Thus, God expects us to use the opportunities available now, today.
We should not be casual regarding our attitude toward opportunities by ignoring them and wasting them.
We have limited time here on earth. Our lifespan is limited, so we should not be careless; rather, we ought to be careful how we utilize our time.
To everything there is a season,A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born,
And a time to die;
A time to plant,
And a time to pluck what is planted; (Ecclesiastes 3)
Knowing that we have a limited resource of time, we should be mindful of how we utilize the time we have.
So teach us to number our days, that we may get us a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12) This should be our desire.
So then, as occasion and opportunity open up to us, let us do good [morally] to all people [not only being useful or profitable to them, but also doing what is for their spiritual good and advantage]. Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith [those who belong to God’s family with you, the believers] (Galatians 6:10 AMPC)
In a shorter version, we have the KJV version mentioned below.
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Galatians 6:10 KJV)
17) What should you do now, do today with your time?
So what is one thing that we should do now, what should we do today?
We need to trust in God and rejoice in him.
We should not rely on our understanding of any situation or circumstance.
This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24)
It’s not about the situation and circumstances. It’s a choice we choose to exercise.
Also important to know that we will rejoice – a determined decision we make.
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4 NKJV)
‘Rejoicing in the Lord’ is the key here. Of who He is. Of His righteousness. Of His justice.
Because our God is our Lord.
He reigns and rules not only our circumstances but also over all aspects of our lives and even the entire creation. Here is a beautiful song which is bound to speak to you.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/b4uNT8a4Q1s
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV)
Remember, it’s very easy to lean on our understanding as well as lack of it. It’s very easy to jump to conclusions and anxieties due to the doctor’s report, friends’ conversations, Google search, AI results, exam results, job interview results, etc.
Knowing that your God, who loves you, will help you navigate time. So rejoice, be confident.
18) Why is it important for Christians to understand time?
If we as Christians understand time, we would focus and prepare for eternity with God with great determination. We would adopt the value systems of God that bring heaven on earth. We would speak and act knowing that God’s Love is supreme.
Once our mindset changes, everything is bound to change.
We would understand time, the times; the times and seasons. We would be better disciples of Jesus Christ and be more like Christ every day.
Every blessing connected with time and times, God desires to give you. These are only meant to be benchmarks for blessing. Think and desire miracles.
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:12-14 NKJV)
God bless you. May He reveal and empower you about the possibilities of “Time”.
