4 minute read
Timeless Truths ................................................................Pages
from His Grace Magazine
by His Grace
Time
In Ecclesiastes, one of the books of the Old Testament, King Solomon suggested that there is a rhythm to our existence: the call to plant, to love, to live, to work and then to enjoy the fruits of our labor (Ecclesiastes 3:1-13). This message centers on God's authority in heaven and earth and denotes there is a chosen purpose for everything we experience in our lives. It also makes us realize that some elements of our existence are beyond our control. We cannot conquer time; God is the One who appoints each moment. Each season has its appropriate time in the cycle of life. Nothing stays the same, and we must accept and adjust to the flow of God's design. Some seasons are difficult and although we may not understand what God is doing, we must trust in His sovereignty, knowing that He is working out His good purpose.
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The Bible says that Jesus has lighted every man that has come into the world. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” The whole Bible is a testament that God is waiting for His children to seek Him. He gave us a free will; we are masters of our own eternal
destiny. We choose to be saved or not be saved. God is willing to bring us up to the level of blessing He promised, as soon as we are willing to surrender our hearts and souls to Him and live for Christ. James 4:810 says, "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted and mourn, and weep lest your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up." We need to remember that all our best laid out plans are always subject to the will of God because He is our Creator and He gives life and takes it away. We don't know the day or the hour that we will pass,
and after death comes the judgment, which is why the day of salvation is such an urgent call. In Luke 12:16-20, Jesus tells a parable of the rich fool, who thought he had plenty of time to enjoy life. But God had news for him: "This very night your life will be demanded from you" (verse 20). Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, which makes putting off being saved very critical. We are told in James 4:13-14: “Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” God wishes that none perish. The Bible urgently appeals to us to repent without delay. God wants all of us to be saved. The right 'time' is now. We can only live our lives one day at a time. Yesterday is already gone and tomorrow is not promised. We have today; this present moment - to be saved by the grace of God. Every time a person says 'no' to what's right, when we refuse to listen to God and insist on going our own way, our hearts and minds eventually become calloused and hard until we are numb to God calling us onto Himself. It becomes easier to say 'no'. The harder a person's heart becomes, the more 'force' God applies to bring him to repentance. Just look at the severe plagues in
Egypt, where Pharaoh's heart continued to harden…the plagues continued and worsened, until his very own son was taken from him. Those who refuse to repent and turn to Christ in faith will suffer eternal consequences. Hell is a real place and mankind in his sin is in a dire situation. Why would anyone delay repentance? For the unsaved person, now is the time to wake up out of your sleep, before you pass the point of no return. In Romans 1, the apostle Paul shows how the wicked made a choice to reject God, and that choice put them on a downward spiral of increasing darkness and decreasing hope. As the godless run farther and farther from God, God intervenes less and less and eventually gives them over their own wicked ways, meansing that God completely abandons them. We shouldn't delay repentance, especially when we know the difference between right and wrong, because once we know that something is a sin, we are responsible for our actions and the state of our hearts. This is a dangerous spiritual condition to be in. When we delay
Time
repentance, we also delay certain blessings from God. He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy (Proverbs 28:13). Call on Jesus and ask Him to save you before it is too late. Jesus promised: “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8).
(Mark 1:15)
WOOD Ministries
Written by: Donna Wood Photos by: Donna Wood
