Louise Struwig
It’s the tenth month of the year, although the name October actually means eight. But we’ll come back to that later*. Here in the southern hemisphere, it means spring is over and we’re well into summer with bright colours and plenty greenery in the garden. If you live in the northern hemisphere, or have family and friends there, it’s a time of beautiful autumn colours and colder weather.
Symbolically ten is a complete number and represents wholeness, perfection, fullness and completeness. Jewish Rabbi’s regard ten to mean holiness, wholeness and a resting place for God’s presence or glory. The ten commandments are a summary and representation of God’s full law. We have ten toes, ten fingers, we’re impressed when small children learn to count to ten, and we celebrate when we reach milestone decade birthdays which are multiples of ten.
October, the tenth month also grabs our attention because it means we’re almost at the end of the year. We start to plan for the end of the school or work year, think about how we’ll celebrate Christmas and the new year, where we’ll spend our time off, or how we’ll manage to keep going for longer. We tend to panic about projects we intended to complete but are far from finished. Scholars and students feel anxious as they prepare for end of year exams.
*Are you still wondering why the tenth month in our calendar is derived from the Latin word for eight? Initially time was measured according to the Roman calendar and October, meaning eight was chosen to indicate the eighth month. Julius Caesar replaced this calendar with the Julian calendar in 45 BC, adding two more months at the beginning, making October the tenth month. Then the Gregorian calendar was adopted in the 16th Century because it was more accurate and now, we have twelve months of differing lengths and an extra day every fourth or leap year.
Since we are talking about the division of time into days and months and years, let’s look at what the Bible says about time. Psalm 90 has the following to highlight:
- God is not bound by time. He always has existed and always will exist into the future.
Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations, before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. (Psalm 90: 1-2 NIV)
- God experiences time differently to us.
A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. (Psalm 90:4 NIV)
- Compared to eternity we only have a short span of time.
Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; (Psalm 90:10 NIV)
So, what do we learn from this? We can depend on God at all times. He is not anxious about the time that has gone by, nor is He rushed by what still needs to be done. He takes time in His stride and uses it to His advantage, pacing Himself. He controls time, it does not control Him. The Psalmist continues by praying:
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Psalm 90:12 NIV)
Here is a challenge: This year, instead of subscribing to ‘silly season’ with its frenetic activity and crazy pace, let’s pace ourselves with ample time to draw near to the One who cares for us more than our family or best friends. He has all the time in the world to listen and work out your requests to your best interest. Let’s take time to lend our ear to Jesus and draw aside quietly to hear his voice. The writer of Song of Songs, says it well:
Get up my dear friend, fair and beautiful lover – come to me! Look around you; winter is over; the winter rains are over, gone! Spring flowers are in blossom all over. The whole world’s a choir – and singing! Spring warblers are filling the forest with sweet strains. Lilacs are exuberantly purple and perfumed, and cherry trees fragrant with blossoms. Oh, get up, dear friend, my fair and beautiful lover – come to me! […] let me see your face, let me hear your voice. For your voice is soothing and your face is ravishing. (Songs of Songs 2:11-13, The Message)
Amid the rush, let’s take some time to just sit in the presence of Jesus. He wants to hear your voice and see your face, and talk to you! This is what He encouraged Martha to do, instead of focussing on the many tasks that she felt had to be completed urgently. It’s what we read about in Isaiah – waiting on the Lord to get renewed strength.
God doesn’t come and go, God lasts. He’s Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn’t get tired out, doesn’t pause to catch His breath. And He knows everything, inside and out. He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to the dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don’t get tired, they walk and don’t lag behind. (Isaiah 40: 28-31, The Message)
Remember in Jewish culture, ten is considered as a resting place for God’s presence. Let’s use this tenth month of the year to re-establish a daily habit of meeting with Jesus. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the end of year activities and all that still needs to be accomplished this year, then draw strength from Him by waiting to hear his voice. Commit your daily calendar to Jesus, asking Him to help you prioritise what He wants done urgently and then reschedule the rest.
For those who can’t take a holiday at the end of the year, and must keep going, allow God to renew you daily by spending time with Him. For those who are able to take a much-needed break as the year finishes, before a new one starts, enjoy the time off but don’t take a break from reading the Word and talking to Jesus daily. You’ll be so glad you made time with Jesus a priority when you start the new year with renewed strength.