{"id":2652,"date":"2022-11-28T14:25:10","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T19:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/?p=2652"},"modified":"2022-11-28T14:25:10","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T19:25:10","slug":"when-time-stands-still","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/slentz.org\/blog\/devotional\/when-time-stands-still\/","title":{"rendered":"When Time Stands Still"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When Time Stands Still (and we wish it didn’t!)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

I remember many times when I stared at a clock, and the second hand seemed to stop \u2013 as if time was slowing down. Unfortunately, this slowing down of time always seems to happen right when I am in a situation that I would rather not be in, making an unpleasant moment even more unpleasant. And the more I keep glancing back at that clock, the worse it gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, apparently, there is an actual phenomenon called the \u201cStopped Clock Illusion\u201d <\/strong>or, by its technical title, \u201cChronostasis.\u201d<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is what happens:<\/p>\n\n\n

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When our eyes shift across a room from point A to point B, they move so rapidly that a blurred image is all our eyes can produce. However, God designed our brains to do something absolutely incredible in that brief, but very blurry moment. Our brain literally erases that blur from our memory! It does this all day long each time we shift our eyes. Even though the time \u201cerased\u201d is a mere split second, when we take a day\u2019s worth of that process (over 100,000 times!), it adds up to more than 40 minutes a day! That\u2019s a lot of erasing going on, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, thank God that this does not leave us with a daily 40 minutes of blank areas in our memory. To avoid that problem, what our amazing brain does next is even more phenomenal. The very instant that our eyes focus upon the new image at point B, our brain immediately writes the new point B image back onto our previously erased memory. How awesome is that! This process is called \u201cbackdating\u201d or \u201cneural antedating.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fascinating result is that we are oblivious to any blurring of our vision. This is extremely crucial because it helps us to quickly orient ourselves to be prepared for any quick response that may be required by what our eyes now see at point B. What a fantastic design by our Creator God, right? [Hey, evolutionist friend, how would that feature have evolved by accident, hmmm?]<\/p>\n\n\n

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However, sometimes this memory \u201cbackdating\u201d can cause some unusual effects. One such effect is called the \u201cStopped Clock Illusion.\u201d Look at what takes place:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Our eyes shift from point A to look at point B (the ticking second hand of a wall clock).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The brain erases the blurred images in our memory caused by the rapid movement of our eyes to look at the clock. The further the distance is, the more memory needs to be erased.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The instant our eyes focus on point B (the second hand), our brain backdates the erased memory by writing the new image of point B in its place. Wow!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Our backdated memory causes our brain to tell us that we already saw that image just one second ago.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Consequently, we are seeing two seconds of the same image and we are left with the illusion that the second hand took an extra second to move.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Is there an application here? Of course!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Although not as complicated as the \u201cStopped Clock Illusion,\u201d there is an illusion of sorts that occurs when we go through the trials of life\u2019s unpleasant moments. When our gaze is fixed upon this temporal life\u2019s \u201cclock\u201d during our unpleasant times, the \u201cillusion\u201d we experience is that our moment of affliction feel like a miserable\u201d forever\u201d that just will not end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    First of all, we must understand that, as born-again believers, we are created for eternity. The Bible says God has placed eternity inside our heart:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Ecclesiastes 3:11 (Amplified)
    He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]\u2014yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    The Bible tells us that we were \u201cdead\u201d in our sins before being born again. However, once we believe and receive Christ as Lord, something extraordinary happens. The Seed \u2013the Word of God\u2013 is implanted within our being and we now have a new nature also referred to in the Bible as the \u201cnew man\u201d and the \u201cinner man\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    Ephesians 2:4-6
    But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
    Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
    And raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    Colossians 3:10
    And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
    Our new \u201cinward man\u201d is seated with Christ \u201cin the heavenly places\u201d (Eph 2:6)<\/em>. Our new inner man is \u201ccreated in true righteousness and holiness\u201d (Eph 4:24)<\/em>. It longs for eternity. It naturally yearns for and can only be satisfied with \u201cheavenly things\u201d and the \u201cthings which are not seen\u201d \u2013 the eternal things (2 Cor 4:16-18; Col 3:1-3)<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    When we allow our \u201cinward man\u201d to do what it does naturally, it will redirect our focus toward heavenly things. Look what Paul told the Corinthians:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
    2 Corinthians 4:16-18
    Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
    For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
    While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.<\/pre>\n\n\n
    \n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
    According to this passage, shifting our eyes from point A (the temporal things of this life) and purposely focusing on point B (the things that are eternal) has three wonderful benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Our trials and afflictions will no longer have the \u201cillusion\u201d of lasting forever. Instead, we\u2019ll see them realistically as \u201cmomentary\u201d and \u201clight\u201d compared to eternity. In other words, we can say that the \u201cstopped clock\u201d which made unpleasant moments even more unpleasant will now start spinning before our eyes!
      <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Our inner man is renewed day by day. Even though our \u201couter man\u201d (physical body) is aging, our inner man is flourishing with the heart of eternity! In fact, the Bible says we have \u201ctasted the powers of the age to come\u201d (Heb 6:4-5). How delicious is that!
      <\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. All our \u201cmomentary light afflictions\u201d are not wasted. Rather, for the believer, they are actually producing an \u201ceternal weight of glory.\u201d Now I can\u2019t even imagine how much an \u201ceternal weight of glory\u201d would weigh or what it would even look like, but all of this just points to the eternal rewards and treasures which we will enjoy with Jesus throughout all of eternity! Absolutely amazing! Hallelujah!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      <\/div>\n\n\n\n
      \n\n\n\n
      Thank You, dear Heavenly Father, for setting \u201ceternity\u201d deep within my heart. I acknowledge this Truth revealed in Your Word, and I purpose to allow my \u201cinward man\u201d to continually redirect my focus away from this life\u2019s \u201cstopped clock\u201d and toward the timelessness of eternal glory with my Heavenly Bridegroom, Jesus Christ!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Holy Spirit, thank You for renewing and energizing me from the inside out so that I can live beyond the ticking of this world\u2019s clock \u2013 to live a life that glorifies Jesus in all that I do!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Thank You, Jesus, for what You did on the Cross for me so that I can enjoy this gift of eternal life \u2013 an eternity of life and time with You in Heaven. I am daily anticipating Your soon return and the joys of experiencing what an eternal \u201cweight\u201d of glory really is!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Psalms 90:2,4,10,12
      Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God…
      For a thousand years in Your sight
      Are like yesterday when it is past…
      The days of our lives are seventy years;
      And if by reason of strength they are eighty years…
      For it is soon cut off, and we fly away…
      So teach us to number our days,
      That we may gain a heart of wisdom.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
      Come Quickly, Jesus!
      Amen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
      \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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