Today is cash in hand..... Spend it wisely."
(Sign seen in a bank many years ago)
Today is a special day. Yes, it's the Lord's Day, which is always special, but today has another reason for being special, at least somewhat. The specialness of it can be evidenced by the fact that we're all gathered here for worship service and "yawning" to beat the band. Yep, it's that "time" of the year again in which our federal government has decreed that we set our clocks ahead one hour so as to "spring forward" into Daylight Saving Time (DST). And yes, "saving" is not plural.
I love it when something common to our earthly life provides me with an idea for a spiritual lesson and DST serves that purpose today. First off, let me say that the title "Daylight Saving Time" gives the wrong impression, at least I think so. It would be more accurate to call it "Daylight Shifting Time" or, maybe even better, "Daylight Time Shifting."
Whether you're aware of it or not, there was a lot of controversy at the time of the establishment of DST and there still is with a lot of people. It's sort of interesting when you delve into it to see who likes it and who doesn't. Some types of businesses like having it and others don't. Example: industrial types of business like it because of energy saving, but farmers don't because their day starts at daybreak and chickens and other animals don't adjust well to it.
Here's a few factoids I found interesting in my research of DST. #1: Several states don't subscribe to it like our neighbor to the East, Arizona. However, there are two Indian reservations there, the Navajo and the Hopi, with the Navajo reservation surrounding the Hopi reservation. The Navajo DOES have DST and the Hopi DOESN'T. Picture a donut with the "hole" not observing what the "donut" does.
#2: Do you know that there have actually been riots due to the time change? They seem to occur among late-night revelers (nice word) who lose an hour of drinking at their party places or bars. Noticing where the riots occur, you don't think that alcohol might have some influence on the actions of the rioters, do you?
#3: I saved the best for last. If you're planning to commit some dastardly deed, it's a good idea to be aware of DST. It seems some terrorists were in the process of placing some time-delayed bombs in Israel to blow up some buses, but they forgot about the time change. You know what happened, don't you? The bombs had been set to explode at a certain time, like AN HOUR LATER! Oh well, "hoisted on their own petard."
You no doubt noticed at the top of this editorial I penned the words of a little sign I once saw in a bank. What a great lesson in those few words. I'm going to give you the words of another article I once read that ties in very nicely with that little bank sign and also the culmination of our lesson today. I don't even know if it has an official title, but that doesn't matter, it provides us with a great lesson.
"Imagine....there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400.... it carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes what you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Use all of it, of course...
Each of us has such a bank. It's name is TIME. Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance, it allows no overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the "tomorrow." You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness and success! The clock is running......make the most of today."
Let's wrap up today's thoughts with some spiritual applications to "time." Let's go back to the article about the "bank account" of time. Here's the problem with that account: there is no guarantee that we'll have those deposits every day. Or, if we wake up in the morning, that we'll actually get to use all 86,400 of our seconds. Recall with me the words of Solomon when he told us "For man does not know his time." (Eccl. 9:12) We just do not know what size our "bank account" will be, do we?
You see, "time" is only applicable to this life, our "time" spent on this earth. I love a phrase uttered by an old cowboy in a movie I once watched. He said, "We travel between the eternities." It's also Solomon that tells us in Ecclesiastes that we came from eternity and we go to eternity. The 3rd chapter of that book talks much about "time" and when he uses the word "season," that's just another way of saying that "time" only applies to this earthly life.
Therefore, "time" is our most valuable commodity. The definition of "commodity" is "something of use or of value." So, our lesson centers upon our use of that most valuable commodity. There are many we could cite here, but let me just give you one scripture that speaks directly to our usage of time as Christians. In Eph. 5:15-16 we read these words: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil." (ESV)
I've cited to you some words of Solomon and Paul, both inspired men of God. Let me cite a few more words spoken by another man, uninspired but wise. "Dost thou love Life? Then do not squander Time; for that's the stuff Life is made of. Lost time is never found again." (Benjamin Franklin)
Here's a simple little thought from an unknown author that I'll close with today. Think about it as you read it and see if it doesn't apply to a lot of people in this world today and is fitting with God's Word about them.
Does anybody really know what time it is?
Does anybody really care ...... about time?
If so, I can't imagine why.
We've all got time enough to die.
Closing question: Can you think of a better "good purpose" than that of "investing" in Christ Jesus and His Gospel?
Ron Covey
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.