WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT TIME IS ONE OF THE TOP MOST PRECIOUS GIFTS GOD HAS BLESSED US WITH. GOD IS ETERNAL AND HE LIVES OUTSIDE OF TIME AND SPACE BUT HE GAVE US TIME TO HELP BRING ORDER INTO OR LIVES AND TO HELP US PRACTICE GOOD STEWARDSHIP OVER OUR TIME. GOD GAVE US TIME TO HONOR.
I DID NOT ALWAYS SEE TIME LIKE GOD WANTED US TO SEE TIME. I WAS OFTEN LATE FOR SCHOOL GROWING UP AND WHEN I BEGAN TO WORK, I WAS LATE FOR WORK AND HAD NO REGARD FOR WRITE-UPS, WARNINGS, OR EVEN GETTING FIRED (WHICH HAPPENED TO ME ON MY VERY FIRST JOB WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK). BEING LATE FOR SCHOOL DISRUPTED THE TEACHER’S LESSON AND CAUSED A DISTRACTION FROM LEARNING WITH MY OTHER CLASSMATES. BEING LATE TO WORK CAUSED A DISRUPTION IN PRODUCTION AT WORK, A DISTRACTION TO THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, AND MY BOSS WHO HAD TO TAKE TIME FROM HIS DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT WORK TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT COVERAGE BEFORE I GOT TO WORK. DO YOU REPORT TO WORK ON TIME? DO YOU START YOUR BUSINESS ON TIME? THINGS FALL BEHIND AND OTHERS ARE AFFECTED WHEN WE DON’T HONOR TIME.
I AM IN COMMERCIAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR SHOPPING CENTERS AND WHEN OUR TENANTS HAVE DELAYED OPENINGS DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS OR AN ISSUE WITH A STORE, IT CLEARLY AFFECTS THE SALES AND PRODUCTION FOR THE DAY AS IT SHOWS UP IN SALES REPORTS WE GET. MY MIND THINKS ABOUT BIG EVENTS AND IF THEY DON’T START ON TIME EVERYTHING JUST RUNS IN TOGETHER AND IT SEEMS YOU CAN NEVER CATCH UP. MOST OF THE TIME YOU WIND UP CUTTING CORNERS TO GET OUT ON TIME. MY MIND ALSO THINKS ABOUT CHURCH SERVICES (YES I AM GOING THERE BECAUSE WE ARE THE MAIN ONES THAT SHOULD BE HONORING TIME…IT’S ALL LOVE FROM ME SO LET’S TALK ABOUT IT) AND HOW SOME SERVICES MAY NOT START ON TIME. I AM NOT TALKING ABOUT INCLEMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS AT ALL, OR SOME KIND OF OTHER DELAY HINDERED BEYOND OUR CONTROL, BUT YOU ARE NOT STARTING ON TIME BECAUSE THOSE INVOLVED ARE NOT HONORING TIME. FOR EXAMPLE, I WENT TO A SPECIAL SERVICE ONE TIME THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN AT A CERTAIN TIME, BUT THE SERVICE DID NOT ACTUALLY START UNTIL AT LEAST AN HOUR LATER BECAUSE THE WORSHIP TEAM AND MUSICIANS WERE LATE. AND BECAUSE OF THIS, IT WAS A STRUGGLE WHEN SERVICE FINALLY BEGAN AND TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THE SERVICE TO BE WHERE GOD INTENDED IT TO BE. YOU CAN’T DO A HOLY FUSS AT THE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE ON TIME HONORING THE TIME YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE IN PLACE. NOW COULD IT BE THAT GOD HONORS OUR TIME SO MUCH, WHEN WE SAY WE ARE STARTING AT A CERTAIN TIME, HE IS READY AND QUE’D UP TO MAKE HIS PRESENCE KNOWN AT THAT TIME? AND WHEN WE DO NOT START AT THAT TIME COULD HE BE THINKING EXCUSE ME I WAS ALREADY THERE AND PRAISE AND WORSHIP IS OVER, I AM OVER HERE NOW IN THE OTHER PART OF THE SERVICE YOU SHOULD BE IN BY NOW. DO YOU START YOUR SERVICES OR EVENTS ON TIME? DO YOU GET TO THE SERVICE OR EVENT EARLY FOR SET UP SO THE HOSTS CAN BEGIN ON TIME? THINGS FALL BEHIND AND OTHERS ARE AFFECTED WHEN WE DON’T HONOR TIME. GOD EXPECTS US TO HONOR TIME LIKE HE EXPECTS US TO HONOR HIM AND ONE ANOTHER.
I FIND IT QUITE INTERESTING THAT TIME IS NOT SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH WHERE WE ARE COMMUNICATING OR MEETING WITH DIRECTLY FOR LUNCH….BUT OH DO WE NEED IT…AND IT IS A CONSTANT PART OF OUR LIVES. ALL OUR DECISIONS ARE BASED ON TIME IN SOME FASHION. ONE THING FOR SURE ABOUT TIME…IT WILL NOT WAIT FOR YOU. IT KEEPS MOVING REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU ARE DOING OR NOT. TIME IS ON TO THE NEXT AND THEN ON TO THE NEXT AFTER THAT. DON’T TRY TO DATE TIME BECAUSE IT WILL LEAVE YOU HANGING AND DROP YOU QUICKLY. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING TO BE DISCOURAGED ABOUT. ALTHOUGH TIME IS LIKE A ONCE AND DONE, BE ENCOURAGED BECAUSE GOD WHO IS IN THIS WITH US FOR THE LONG HALL IS THE AUTHOR OF TIME AND HE REMAINS IN CONTROL. AND WHAT YOU THINK YOU MISSED THAT HE PROMISED AND ORDAINED FOR YOUR LIFE, HE WILL GIVE TO YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY AND IN POSITION TO RECEIVE IN SEASON. THERE WERE SEASONS IN MY LIFE WHEN I USED TO SAY … IF I COULD ONLY GO BACK…..TURN BACK THE TIME WHEN I THINK IF THINGS I THINK I MISSED EXPERIENCING OR RECEIVING IN MY YOUNGER DAYS. BUT I AM GLAD GOD DIDN’T LISTEN TO ME WHEN I WOULD SAY THAT BECAUSE TURNING BACK THE TIME IS GETTING ALL THE OTHER THINGS NOT SO FAVORABLE FOR MY LIFE THAT CAME ALONG AT THE TIME. GOD IS A REDEEMER. HE IS THE ONE WHO RECLAIMED US WHEN WE WERE LOST, HE IS THE ONE WHO REPAYS AND COMPENSATES, HE IS THE ONE WHO RECOVERS, HE IS THE ONE WHO ALLOWS US TO REGAIN. HE WILL REDEEM TIME FOR US. IT WILL NOT BE THAT EXACT TIME AND DATE THAT HAS ALREADY GONE BY BUT HE WILL REDEEM THE PROMISE AND HE WILL RESTORE EVERYTHING THAT WAS LOST AND STOLEN. REDEEMING THE TIME CAN BE SO MANY THINGS…BRINGING THAT PROMISE TO YOU….ALLOWING YOU TO FUFILL A DREAM HE ORDAINED TO FRUITION…PROLONGING YOUR DAYS OF GOOD HEALTH….ALLOWING YOU TO WALK IN YOUR GIFT AND CALLING YOU HAVE BEEN RUNNING FROM AND STILL BE SPOT ON AND EFFECTIVE.
IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE OR WHAT SEASON YOU ARE IN YOUR LIFE. IF IT’S FOR YOU AND YOU ARE READY BY FAITH TO RECEIVE NOW WHAT YOU THINK YOU MISSED BACK THEN, YOU WILL HAVE IT. HIS WORD SAYS HE WILL NOT WITHOLD ANY GOOD THING FROM THOSE WHO WALK UP RIGHT BEFORE HIM. IT IS HIS PLEASURE TO BLESS US. THERE IS ONLY ONE WE WORSHIP AND HONOR AND THAT IS THE TRUE AND LIVING GOD AND HIS SON JESUS. WE ARE NOT TO WORSHIP PEOPLE BUT TO HONOR THEM ANDD THEIR TIME. WE ARE NOT TO WORSHIP TIME…BUT TO HONOR AND STEWARD WELL. LET’S HONOR THE GIFT OF TIME.
PRAYER: GOD YOU REIGN IN MAJESTY. I GIVE YOU GLORY AND HONOR FOR WHO YOU ARE AND ALL OF YOUR GLORY. THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT OF TIME YOU HAVE ALLOWED ME TO HAVE EACH DAY. THANK YOU FOR THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE ALLOWED ME TO TOUCH IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER. HELP ME TO HONOR THEM. HELP ME NOT TO TAKE TIME FOR GRANTED AND WHEN I FALL SHORT IN THESE AREAS HELP ME TO REPENT QUICKLY AND LEAD ME BACK TO THE PLACE OF HONOR. I UNDERSTAND THAT BEING IN A PLACE WITH A HEART TO HONOR WILL POSITION ME TO RECEIVE EVERYTHING GOOD YOU HAVE COMING MY WAY. I THANK YOU FOR REDEEMING ME AND RESTORING ME. I RECEIVE BY FAITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE FOR ME IN THIS SEASON OF MY LIFE. IN JESUS NAME..AMEN.
SCRIPTURES: Ephesians 5:15-17Amplified Bible (AMP) 15 Therefore see that you walk carefully [living life with honor, purpose, and courage; shunning those who tolerate and enable evil], not as the unwise, but as wise [sensible, intelligent, discerning people], 16 [a]making the very most of your time [on earth, recognizing and taking advantage of each opportunity and using it with wisdom and diligence], because the days are [filled with] evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.
Romans 12:10New International Version (NIV) 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Joel 2:25-26 New International Version (NIV) 25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm[a]— my great army that I sent among you. 26 You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.
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