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I am a very time conscious person, sometimes to a fault. It's just a part of my personality. I do not like to be late and would rather arrive somewhere much too early than take a chance on being late. One of our pastors used to say, "Turn to the person next to you and say, 'You look like good missionary material to me.'" Jerry would just look at me and laugh.
The reason he laughed was because we both knew that in many nations of the world their view of time is different than our western culture mentality. Some cultures are more concerned about relationships than they are about the clock. That's wonderful, but for a person like me, I would need a lot of grace to adjust and it would definitely get me out of my comfort zone!
Our God is a God of time. Daniel 2:21 says that He changes the times and seasons. He set the solar system in place to cause us to have days and nights. He is a God of perfect timing. We are here on earth at this particular time in history for a reason. God could have caused us to be born in any generation, but He chose us to be alive at this crucial time. In the same way, Esther was told that she had been brought to the kingdom "for such a time as this." (Esther 4:14)
King David was very conscious of time and spoke of it often in the Psalms. He asked God to make him aware of how short his time on earth was. In Psalm 30:15 he said, "My times are in Your hand." He recognized God was ultimately in control of his life and of his time on earth. "Lord, make me to know my end, and what is the extent of my days." (Psalm 39:4)
Moses also asked God to make him conscious of the brevity of life. He prayed, "Teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12). The Apostle Paul wanted the Ephesian church to understand this. He told them to "Make the most of your time, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16 NASB) The New English Translation says, "Taking advantage of every opportunity." Another way of saying this would be "Carpe Diem - Seize the Day!"
My life motto is "Every day is a gift." God gives us life and the best thing we can do to thank Him is to live each moment to its fullest. We should life purpose-filled lives. When Rick Warren's book, "The Purpose-Driven Life," came out several years ago, it struck a chord in the hearts of millions. There is something on the inside of us, planted by God, that draws most people to something bigger than themselves. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has set eternity in their hearts." If we comprehend how short our lives are, we will evaluate them and see if we are making the most of our time. Are we making the most of every opportunity?
Joel 3:9 says, "Wake up the mighty men!" Isaiah 32:9 says,"Rise up, you women who are at ease, and hear my voice; Give ear to my word, You complacent daughters." We are told in Ephesians 5:14, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Do you see a theme in all these verses? It's time to wake up! It's time to stop being complacent! But once we wake up - then what? Romans 13:11-12 says, "It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light."
Ephesians 5:14 says that when we awaken, Christ will shine on us. Romans 13:12 says to put on the armor of light. Why would we need armor unless there's a war going on? "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen on you. For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and deep darkness the people, But the Lord will rise upon you, And His glory will appear on you." (Isaiah 60:1-2)
We cannot allow our enemy to lull to sleep. We must awaken to our purpose and destiny and lay aside the deeds of darkness and put aside distractions. When we do, the glory of the Lord will shine upon us and we will be a mighty force on the earth! This is our time! We have come to the kingdom for such a time as this. May we make the most of every opportunity and seize the day!