PARTY TIME

"'I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.'" (Luke 15:7 NIV)

Sports fans in general measure time by the big events: Super Bowls, Olympic festivals, World Series, World Cups.

And golf fans? We measure time by majors. Jack Nicklaus' Sunday back nine to win his final Masters (1986), Jean Van de Velde's slow "burn" at Carnoustie (1999), Tiger Woods' 15-stroke romp at Pebble Beach (2000), Shaun Micheel's brilliant 7-iron to within inches at the last to win the PGA Championship (2003). Of course, those who really love the game’s history can pluck a fistful of such moments from the flow of time, and name the years to go with them. These shots, these victories, are that memorable.

But as always, the greatest questions apply to God. Today we ask: Does God measure time in the way we do? Does He celebrate moments in history?

To answer the first question, many run to Peter’s simple observation: "With the Lord, a thousand years is like a day, and a day is like a thousand years" (2 Peter 3:8). God transcends time, seeing the whole parade of life while we see only one band or one float as it passes. But this does not mean that God does not understand time as we know it. After all, His creative hand put the earth and the moon into their rotations and orbits, thereby structuring both the days and the seasons. God is not "off in His heaven," thinking of the various events to come, Oh, I'll take care of that when I get around to it. If God has ordained the times and place where we shall each live, as Paul told the Athenians, He has ordained much more than that—and He has determined the specific times when they will happen.

What Peter was driving at was God's patience. He will not be rushed. And the good news in that knowledge is that He can—unlike many of us, it seems—pause to enjoy the moments that matter most.

Just such a moment is the dawn of salvation for each man and woman who turns their affections over to Him. These moments produce a party in God's presence. The angels and their Master set to rejoicing! And there the questions turn back to us: Will we rejoice in the moments God rejoices in? Do they mean enough to us?

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Jeff Hopper

July 20, 2007

Copyright 2007 Links Players International

The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.