February 29 is an odd occurrence. It’s a “make up” day to keep our seasons on track, as calculated on the Gregorian calendar.
The Jewish calendar is tied more closely than ours to observational astronomy – the relative rotations of the earth, the moon the sun. Because days go from sunset to sunset, a day may last a few minutes more. or a few minutes less, than 24 hours. A Jewish month is lunar - coinciding with a new moon. The months have 29 or 30 days based on which day has the arrival of the new moon. Twelve of these months together leave us short of a solar year. And thirteen is too long. So to adjust there is an extra month thrown in every few years giving it essentially a “leap month.”
That’s why dates in our modern calendar change year to year against the Jewish calendar. For example, while Passover is always on Nissan 15 it could occur in several different months on our calendar.
This year we celebrate an extension of our year - whether Jew or Gentile. Our calendar has an extra day and our Jewish friends get a whole added month.
Whether we speak of Sabbaths or Saturdays, Adar or April, God knows the days and years of our life. We have enough no matter which calendar we go by or which month we’re in. He can choose to extend or shorten time, evidenced by His rare interruption of the sun’s movement at Joshua’s request. What stands firm is God’s sovereignty over the seconds of our days.
It rarely feels like there is enough time in the day for all I heap on my plate. I need to be reminded that it’s not how many hours I have, but what I do with them. God knows the time He has given to me and it is enough to do what He has called me to do.
Each minute, day, month and year is known and held by Him. What shall we do with the time He has gifted us?
Live wisely among those who are not believers, making the best use of the time. Colossians 4:5
