Imagine there is a bank in which each of us has an account, credited each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day, allows us to keep no cash balance, and every evening cancels whatever part of the amount we failed to use during the day.
What would we do? Draw out every cent, of course! Well, everyone has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits us with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this we have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for each of us. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If we fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is ours.
There is no going back. And there is no drawing against “tomorrow.”
We must live in the present on today’s deposits, and invest it to gain the utmost in health, happiness and success. The clock is running, so WE MUST MAKE THE MOST OF TODAY.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who has failed a grade.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth
to a pre-mature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE DAY, ask a daily wage laborer who has kids to feed.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who has missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who has avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLI-SECOND, ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
And remember that time waits for no one.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.
So what can we do to make sure we don’t miss out on the present of each day, which Jesus described as the abundant life in John 10:10? “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
WE CAN DO THREE THINGS:
1) Draw close to the Lord and spend time with Him in our secret place, in prayer, and in His Word. In chaotic times to come, it will be critical for us to know His still, small voice, so we can hear Him as He guides and protects us through the chaos. If we do not spend time with Him, we will have nothing special – nothing supernatural – to share with others in their time of need.
2) Commune with other believers in worship and prayer, so that we can minister to them and they can minister to us. A primary way for this to happen is through a local church. But it must be a Bible-believing church that holds up Jesus Christ as Savior above all else, for God is a jealous and holy God who allows no rivals.
3) Reach out to the lost. Many people don’t know our Lord. They may know about Him, but they don’t know Him and His still, small voice that gives guidance and peace. They will be lost as cataclysmic events unfold and their lives are shaken to the core. So let us reach out to them with the love and truth of Christ, the only truth that can set us free.
And finally, what happens when we run out of time? We will be standing before the sovereign, living God of the universe and asked why we did not choose Jesus as our Lord and Savior, even though we had many opportunities to do so. We will be staring at two paths into eternity — to join the heavenly host or head for the Lake of Fire. And our course will already be set.
So seek the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, for time is short, eternity is a very long time, and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
To God be the glory.
Mark Peterson, Ph.D, is a retired educator who’s worked with people in Southeast Arkansas. His blog, LifeintheSpirit.net, provides a Biblical perspective on current events.
Editor’s note: Pastors, ministers or other writers interested in writing for this section may submit articles for consideration to shope@adgnewsroom.com. Please include your phone number and the name and location of your church or ministry. Writers should have a connection to Southeast Arkansas.