Read: Ephesians 5:15-20
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (vv. 15-16)
In a powerful scene in the film version of the Lord of the Rings fantasy trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, Gandalf the wizard and Frodo the hobbit are sitting in the orc-infested mines of Moria. Feeling the burden of his task to destroy the ring of power, Frodo says to Gandalf, “I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”
Gandalf replies: “So do all who live to see such times; but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.”
Maybe you wish these weren’t the times you are living in, or that you didn’t have to carry whatever burden you’re carrying. But we don’t get to decide the times, only what to do with the time given to us. A resilient faith seeks to walk with wisdom, making the most of the time we’ve been given. The key is to discern God’s will in every season, and then obey that will. We can do this with hope and courage because no matter how heavy the burden or how dark things seem, God’s power of goodness and love will ultimately overcome evil and make all things well. —Brian Keepers
As you pray, ask God for wisdom today to make the best use of the time you’ve been given.
About the Author
Brian Keepers has been an ordained pastor in the Reformed Church in America for 23 years. He is currently serving as the lead pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. Brian is married to Tammy, and they have two daughters and a granddaughter.
