Scientists are pretty fussy about time. At the end of 2016, the Goddard Space Flight Center added an extra second to the year. So if you felt that year dragged on a bit longer than normal, you were right.

Why did they do that? Because the rotation of the earth slows down over time, meaning the years get just a tiny bit longer. When scientists track satellites or rockets they’ve sent into space, they must get things right down to the millisecond. One scientist said this is “to make sure our collision avoidance programmes are accurate”. Basically if they get it wrong, the satellites will crash.

For most of us, a second added or lost doesn’t make much difference. Yet according to the Bible, our time and how we use it is important. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 7:29 that “time is short”. The time we have to do God’s work is limited, so we must use it wisely. He urges us to “[make] the best use of the time, because the days are evil” (EPH. 5:16 ESV).

This doesn’t mean we have to count each second like scientists do, but when we know “how fleeting” life is (PS. 39:4), we can be reminded to use our time wisely.

By: Dave Branon

To Pray About . . .

Father, thank You for each moment You give us to live for You and love the people we meet..