Time is a tyrant that has us under its control. Little by little it makes us feel and look older as it relentlessly pushes us toward the day when we will die. Time determines when we plant or reap, when we laugh or cry, when we keep something or throw it away (Eccl. 3:1-8). And sometimes it seems as if we are just helpless pawns in a cosmic game.

But once we understand that the God who established time and controls everything is our Friend, it all looks different. Solomon said that "He has made everything beautiful in its time" (Eccl. 3:11). This enables us to trust God to weave His loving purposes for us into the tapestry of time. There are times when its beauty can be clearly seen, but at other times His design remains a mystery to us because of our human limitations.

I have a friend who finds himself in this dilemma. He's still quite young, but he has an incurable disease that doctors say will allow him no more than 2 years to live. We are praying for healing, but he is ready to go to be with Christ. The other day he cheerfully said, "I'm in a win-win situation. I can't lose either way." The "why" remains a mystery to him, but he is thoroughly convinced that God "has made everything beautiful in its time."  — Herbert Vander Lugt