THE TIME IS NOW!

by Bryan Gibson

The Scriptures remind us that we really don’t have a lot of time, that the time we spend here on earth is brief.

·        “Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow” (Psalms 144:4).

·        “Man…is of few days…He comes forth like a flower and fades away” (Job 14:1-2).

·        “For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and vanishes away” (James 4:14).

So how should we respond, knowing that our time is running out?

·        “Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity…” (Eph. 5:15-16, NIV).

Let’s look at some different ways we need to make the most of our opportunities.

·        Parents, we don’t have much time to spend with our children and teach them the word of God, so we better make the most of our opportunities (Deut. 6:4-9; Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-15).

·        We don’t have much time to learn the word of God ourselves, so let’s get busy and learn all we can while we have the opportunity (2 Tim. 2:15;
1 Pet. 2:1-2; Heb. 5:12-14).

·        We don’t have much time to teach our neighbors, our friends, our family members. Let’s not wait until it’s too late (John 4:35; Acts 8:4).

·        We don’t have much time to help those in need, so let’s do it now, while we still have breath in us (Gal. 6:10).

·        We don’t have much time to get together with other Christians—to encourage and be encouraged, so let’s take advantage of the opportunities we do have (Heb. 3:13).

·        If you’re not a Christian, you don’t have much time to obey the gospel. “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”
(2 Cor. 6:2).