What time is it?

Time is a funny thing. When I first think of it, I think of a clock and the hours in a day. But I wonder how God thinks of time? I got curious and looked up a bunch of scripture trying to find references to time or the use of time or the priorities around time. And guess what I found? Nothing. I sure did find the word "time" a lot but it was mostly in reference to seasons/eras/years or even "the right time" as directed by the Holy Spirit. But nothing encouraging us or even mentioning the usefulness of time on a clock. Now I do realize that clocks as we know them had yet to be invented, but I still figured (as living and timeless word) that I would be able to read about the Lord valuing time in some fashion as the day goes by.

Interestingly, the clock was first used for this (according to sources on wikipedia) "Medieval religious institutions required clocks to measure and indicate the passing of time because, for many centuries, daily prayer and work schedules had to be strictly regulated."

Is a clock a key device of the enemy? To focus us on what's being lost or what's yet to be? To have us in a state of hurry or a state of regret? Could a clock be a partner of the Religious Spirit? With origins like that quote above, I sure do question that.

But what I found in scripture I would characterize with the passage in Ecclesiastes 3 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the sun. (sing it with me now)...a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace...." then it goes on to say this "He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."

So I'm considering whether it's wisest, instead of watching clocks that we, instead, ask the Lord what time it is? I asked him this morning what season I'm in and he used that passage to tell me that I'm in a season of birth, planting, laughter and dancing and a season of speaking. I'm not yet sure what all these things mean but I know these things don't take place by the clock...they evolve as I follow the Lord and allow time to pass...sometimes unnoticed.

Birth, Laughter, Dancing, Planting....

I am usually very big on being careful with time and disciplined about how it's used each day. And there is wisdom in that as scripture does encourage us always to be faithful with our resources, our work, be persistent and prudent, etc. But I can so often get caught up in the day's work that I forget to ask God "what season am I in?" and, therefore, discard the clock whenever necessary.