Psalm 30:5 “For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
This week’s devotional reminded me of this verse. My mother would quote this to me every time I was struggling with an issue of life or unfair demands or situations placed upon me. This Psalm as well as Romans 5:3-5 seemed be direct tie to me throughout my entire life and brought me comfort. She always had a way to calm any distress in anyone’s life and performed all of that with Scripture. Yes, I am blessed to have such a mother and role model and staunch helpmate to my father in the ministry. This topic of time causes me to look back on when my mother was dying with pancreatic cancer. It was speedy but vicious in its attack on her body, yet she always kept a joyful attitude even though racked with anguish. I was not able to make it home before her death, but I called her in the hospital. I, of course was quite distraught, and went through the chronological litany of my failures as a son, the things I needed her to forgive me for, and the list went gloomily on and on. She stopped me and said, “Shane, get over yourself.” This was her other favorite line to when I was highly animated. She then gave me her last sermonette and I wisely and quietly listened. She possessed such an amazing calm as she walked directly into inevitable death. I got off of the phone with her and prayed for God’s healing and miracle that sadly did not come. At the exact moment of her death (and I verified this with dad), I sat up in the very early hours of the morning (4:15 a.m. to be exact) with a start and blurted out “Joy cometh in the morning.” I had no idea why that occurred, and it just made me think and pray over my morning coffee. It was only a couple of hours later that my father called me to tell me that mom had gone to be with Jesus. I could hear the intense pain and great loss in his voice but I had to ask him, “What time dad, what time?!” And he answered, “4:15.”
I have come to learn and know the expectancy of God’s time. All in His time, not my own. When people would say to my father that they would see him or meet with him on a certain or time, his answer would always be, “I’ll be there, the good Lord willing!” It was his sign off every time. I’ve taken it on as my own now as those two portions show such honor and respect to the other person, but all hinging solely on God’s perfect will and timing. As I grow older I have come to respect time all the more as I never wish to waste it because I can never retrieve it. Once it comes, it goes away. Thus I revel in every waking moment as I know I don’t necessarily hold tomorrow—God does. Fully comprehending this I use every bit of time to grow with God, devour the Scripture, and pray earnestly. Time well spent with my Lord and Master.
When dear members of the church found my father he was in his favorite chair and his Bible was open next to him to the Book of Psalms. I too go to sleep each night next to my Bible and wake up to it thankfully each day. This incredible Holy Word of God is my greatest love and passion and there is nothing that can come before that in my worship. The old adage is that you spend the most time on the thing or things that you truly love. I love my Lord and Savior and the great love story that He has written for me in His Bible. Therein lies where and how I spend my time.
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