What is the biblical perspective on TIME? What does
GOD have to say about time and our relationship to it? First, we must be
aware that there are GOD-ORDAINED SEASONS that are divinely ordered and
strategically positioned throughout our lives. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds
us that “to everything there is a SEASON, and a TIME to every purpose under the
heaven.” This scripture identifies SPECIFIC TIMES – to be born, to die,
to plant, to harvest, to kill, to heal, to break, to build, to weep, to laugh,
to mourn, to dance, to discard, to gather, to embrace, to depart, to gain, to
lose, to keep, to cast away, to rend, to sew, to be silent, to speak, to love,
to hate, to make war and to make peace. One practical definition for
WISDOM is “the ability to be time-conscious and time-sensitive in our daily
decisions.”
Kingdom Principle
Number One: GOD ESTABLISHES
COVENANT WITHIN SPECIFIC TIME FRAMES AND DEFINITE BEHAVIORAL PARAMETERS. For
example, Sarah bore Abraham a God-promised son – at a set time. (Genesis 17:21 and 18:14) God rested and
thereafter mandated our own weekly rest – at
a set time. (Genesis 2:2-3 and Exodus 20:8) Every male in Israel was
commanded to appear before God in certain ways – at set times. (Exodus 23:14-17) Jesus Christ died for our eternal
atonement in a very particular manner – at
a divinely appointed and set time. (Romans 5:6)
Kingdom Principle
Number Two: WHEN WE FAIL TO
OPERATE ACCORDING TO GOD’S CLOCK (KAIROS), WE SET OURSELVES UP FOR FRUSTRATION
AND FAILURE. To wit, we cannot afford to get ‘ahead’ of God; neither will
we achieve optimal favor and blessing when we do not step forward (boldly,
confidently, immediately and obediently) in absolute alignment with whatever HE
commands. Abraham became both blessed and
a blessing because “he staggered not at the promise of God…but was strong in
faith, giving glory to God.” (Romans 4:19-21) Despite the fact that
Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah’s womb was long since “dead,” he believed
God and acted in accordance with divine revelation and timing.
Kingdom Principle
Number Three: HUMAN DELAY IS A
SATANICALLY INSPIRED PATHWAY TOWARD DIVINE DENIAL AND DISASTER. Had Moses
responded doubtfully (or even casually) to God’s command to ‘cover’ every
Jewish home with the blood of an innocent lamb, surely the firstborn of Israel
would have perished alongside the firstborn of Egypt. Had Bartimaeus been
hesitant to call out to Jesus at the precise moment Christ was passing by, that
blind man would have lived out his remaining days without any possibility of vision.
Had Jairus not moved with a confident and expeditious faith in the
direction of The Great Physician, his daughter likely would have died. Indeed,
Hebrews 4:7 informs us that God’s grace and mercy operate within the framework
of preset seasons.
Consequently, man’s temporal delay will ultimately result in an eternal
separation from God. There are hundreds of scriptural exemplars where THE TIMELY OPERATION OF FAITH MOVES GOD to
transform human circumstances.
Carvin Winans, the twin brother of Pastor Marvin Winans,
penned a thought-provoking gospel song entitled “Tomorrow.” One portion
of the song lyrics cautions us thusly: “Tomorrow…who promised you tomorrow…better
give your life today…for tomorrow very well might be too late.” It would
do well for those of us who serve the Lord to remember that ‘The Manana
Syndrome’ is not only a satanic tactic to prevent our personal salvation
(Isaiah 55:6), it is also a delaying strategy designed to marginalize and
minimize God’s Kingdom, that is, to block believers from rescuing those who are
perishing. (II Corinthians 4:3) So please do not delay! Despite his failures,
one little known secret to David’s life-success was his determination to act in
timely obedience to God. Regarding
David’s response to the King of Kings, he wrote “I made haste, and DELAYED NOT to keep thy commandments.”
(Psalm 119:60) Jesus Christ sums it up so well: “I must work the works of him
that sent me, WHILE IT IS DAY: the night cometh, when no man can work.” (John
9:4)
Prayerfully consider: Are
you presently caught in a chronic holding pattern – a place of
persistent procrastination and daily delay? Think carefully.
Examine yourself. Consider your motives,
your motivations, your priorities and your personal agenda. Do it now!
What specific strategies do you have in place NOW (which you can
immediately implement) to ‘hold your feet to the fire’ of God’s perfect will
concerning you? What natural and spiritual choices will you make TODAY to
be responsible and accountable for performing YOUR KINGDOM ASSIGNMENT with
precision, punctuality, perseverance and power?
Sisters
and brothers, be continually blessed, and please (above all else) MAKE SURE YOU
ARE READY TO MEET OUR SOON COMING KING. Maranatha!
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