Beyond Time

LORD, You have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were born or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.—Psalm 90:1–2 NASB

For centuries, most of the world followed the calendar developed by Julius Caesar in the first century BC. But there was a problem. In Caesar’s calendar, years lasted longer than the solar year. As a result, dates never could be fixed. No one was able to provide a workable solution.

Then in the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII developed the concept of leap years by adding a day to the calendar every fourth year and removing three leap years every 400 years. Although flawed in minor ways, this approach represented an improvement and soon became adapted as the world standard.

This leap day and its history remind us of the limitations of our human minds. The Bible tells us He has been “our dwelling place throughout all generations.” He is beyond time and has been God “from everlasting to everlasting.” He is beyond our understanding and a thousand years is just “like yesterday when it passes by” (v. 4).

Remember that God sees everything from the perspective of eternity. He is not worried and already has declared the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9–11). We can trust Him. When we seek Him, we should remember that He will answer our prayers based on what is best for us and His grasp of eternity.

Place your life in His hands. Let Him take away all doubt, fear, and worry. God has everything under control—today, tomorrow, and throughout eternity.

Reflection Question: Reflect on our human perception of time in light of eternity.