But not many of us are content with “Oh, bother!”  We are better at complaining than that. (At least I am!)

When the circumstances of life seem to have turned my world on edge, or the people on whom I depend have let me down . . . it’s easy to get that aggravated spirit.  When the folks who do things the wrong way seem to prosper, and those who are seeking to do right fall behind . . . I feel like the writer of Psalm 73. 

The Psalmist found himself envious of the evildoer’s prosperity, jealous of his contented life, and chaffing at the fact that his own lot in life was not nearly so smooth.  But something interesting happened to the psalmist.  He looked past the here and now . . . and things looked radically less appealing for the wicked.  The psalmist says the realization hit him, “when I came into the sanctuary of God.”  (verse 17)  We might think of that as “when I went back to the place of true worship.”  

There is an old story that tells about a farmer, atheist to the core, who planted a field across the road from a little country church.  He would drive his tractor near the road and laugh as the congregation assembled on the Lord’s Day.  He said he would show them how worshiping God was a waste of time.  As the crop grew, he sat on his tractor and bragged about it, saying he “didn’t need God” to help him.  And when harvest came, sure enough, he had a bumper crop, which he took to market with delight.

The next Sunday he sat across the road flashing his money.  The congregation entered the little sanctuary and complained to the pastor.  As the aged minister stepped into the pulpit, he spoke to his disheartened people. “Folks,” he said slowly, “You need to remember, God doesn’t settle all of His accounts in October.”

Sure enough, the next Sunday, as the little congregation gathered on the first Sunday in November, word was spreading among the people.  “Did you hear? The farmer died last night!”

Don’t be dismayed at the circumstances, but set your mind to eternal things.  Come into the sanctuary of God!

Do you save time?  That question might be more profound.   But it’s tricky.  Can you really save time?  Doesn’t it go by, whether you want it to or not? 

So you say, “But I saved time by working more efficiently.”  But where did you save it?  I don’t know where you could store your time so that you could retrieve it and use it later.

Actually, all we can do with time is spend it.  Whether it is done foolishly, or wisely . . . all we really get to do is spend time.  But since it is the most important commodity we have, our caution should be to spend it wisely.  In fact, we should “invest” it.

By investing, people hope to get a good return.  By investing our time, we should hope to get the most out of it we can.   But that doesn’t mean we have to walk around with stop watches in hand, calculating the seconds with nervousness.  And it doesn’t mean we have to eliminate all the leisure out of our “time.”

It’s still good to stop and gaze at a glorious sunset.  It’s appropriate to enjoy the company of a great book, an old friend, or a lazy afternoon nap.  It’s just as important to play with kiddos as it is to help them with their homework.  And it’s the time we invest with that next generation that can most effectively aim them in the right direction.

Time is well spent when it is invested in growing in the grace and knowledge of the Savior. It is invested wisely when we are about the business of real worship, prayer, and searching the Scriptures for truths that light the way.

Moses wrote something about time around 3,500 years ago that’s worth remembering.  He asked God to help us “teach us to number our days so that we may present to You an heart of wisdom.”  (Psalm 90:12)  I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean to simply count them, but to “count” on the fact that they are always dwindling away.  And this is from a man who lived to be 120 years old!

How we spend our time is important.  By now, you have spent about a minute of yours reading this thought.  If it causes you to realize that the number of days each of us have is a vanishing supply . . . and that we should use them for the glory of God . . . then, that is time well spent!