While it is Called Today
People so often try to plan out their future, I will do this and then that, I will marry this person, live there in that house, have these children, those pets, drive this and that, holiday here and there, own these and work there for this salary, and then sometimes disaster, sickness and occasionally death change everything. Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Quote; “Each morning consecrate yourselves and your children to God for that day. Make no calculation for months or years; these are not yours. One brief day is given you. As if this were your last on earth, work during its hours for the Master. Lay all your plans before God, to be carried out or given up, as His providence shall indicate. Accept His plans instead of your own, even though their acceptance requires the abandonment of cherished projects. Thus the life will be molded more and more after the divine example; and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:7. {CCh 152}
Quote; “God gives no one a message that it will be ten or twenty years before this earth’s history shall close. If it were forty or one hundred years, the Lord would not authorize anyone to proclaim it. He would not give any living being an excuse for delaying the preparation for His appearing. He would have no one say, as did the unfaithful servant, “My Lord delayeth his coming,” for this leads to reckless neglect of opportunities and privileges to prepare for that great day. Every soul who claims to be a servant of God is called to do His service as if every day might be the last. . . . Let everyone to whom the Lord has given light from His Word be sure to make a right use of that light. Let all be guarded that they do not presume to feed the flock of God with food that is not appropriate for the time. {CTr 346.3}
Here is a little Prayer oft repeated at bed time, and it goes somewhat like this; “As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my Soul to keep, and should I die before I wake, I pray the Lord my Soul to take.” Matthew 6:9-13 “And thus ye shall pray, Our Father that art in Heavens, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come to; be thy will done in earth as it is in heaven [or thy will be done as in heaven and in earth]; give to us this day our each day’s bread; and forgive to us our debts, as we forgive to our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Amen. {WBMS} Matthew 6:13 “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
James 4:13-17 “Go to now, ye that say, Today or Tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what [shall be] on the morrow. For what [is] your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye [ought] to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin.” We have “Today,” and Tomorrow is yet to come, and we do not even have the assurance that we are going to live for another minute, or hour, a day, a month, a year or anything, so while there is still breath in us, we have hope and aspirations, so let us plan to live eternally, and yet live and move and represent Heaven, moment by moment. Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move, and be. And we be also the kin of Him. {WBMS}
If we are “the Kin” of Jesus Christ, then how well do we reflect the atmosphere of Heaven, or do we exude the sulphuric fumes of Hell? While it is called Today, how well do we live, how well to we treat strangers and friends, those close by, and those far away, who are we a living representative of this day? While it is called Today, do we need a complete makeover, or do we need this, 2 Peter 3:17-18 “Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and forever. Amen.”
We all have; “One day to live,” it is called “Today,” this very day, so let us give it our very best, as if it were our very last, and in all things, always claiming, “Victory in Jesus.” 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 “And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you]. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they [do it] to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring [it] into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”
We all run in the race of life, but Christians are running in a race that never ends, it is Eternal Life, which stretches from today into Eternity, Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so let us run with patience the race that is before us. Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” While it is called Today, let us be in all things, a clear representative of Jesus Christ. Acts 17:28 “For in him we live, and move, and be. And we be also the kin of Him. {WBMS} Are you Jesus “Kin,” Today and every day that you ever live?
