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As a man thinketh in his heart... (Part 2)
The rest of that scripture says . . . so is he! Proverbs 23:7. Who does that make you, then? How have you been spending the hours of your life? What do you like to do most? Your response to these questions will be helpful in determining what is important to you. Hopefully, you have been reading through God’s word and can answer in a godly way. Let’s explore how one should think about their time, according to scripture.
Genesis 18:14. Is anything too hard for the Lord? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.” It’s not easy to wait, and we might say this is a waste of time. Sarah received her promise, but instead of waiting she gave her handmaiden to her husband, Abraham. Yet, God was gracious and merciful and allowed her the blessing in spite of herself. Her path might have been clearer. Think about the pain could she have avoided, if she were a little more patient and spent her time more productively. Perhaps counsel from a godly friend would have warned her. Most importantly, it would have been wise to go back to God as Gideon did, asking Him for reassurance of her plans.
Ephesians 5:15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
Shouldn’t we be living our lives for God, encouraging some and warning others that the days are evil? Since it is appointed unto man once to die and after that the judgment (Hebrews 9:27), we cannot afford to lose time. Because it is impossible for us to fully imagine the expanse of God’s time, it is easy to get caught up with this world and its glitter and gold. God cautions us about this, though. This is where we must have faith to make our time count, effectively.
Exodus 34:14. “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in that month you came out of Egypt. The Lord has established time for us to worship, and what a blessing it is to remember his sacrifice. It is a time to heal with the balm of Gilead, be grateful for His abundant mercies, and praise Him for the life he lead as an example that we might have direction in our walk on this earth. Acts 20:7 On the first day of the week the disciples came together to share the Lord’s Supper. This scripture shows us the time to worship God under the new covenant, and when we do we are ready to share with others from our full cups.
Yes, the way we spend our time does make us who we are! Our mind, body and spirit reflect how we are sojourning here. Let’s make it count for good—for ourselves and for others.
