DISCOVERING TRUE PEACE

 John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

                When you think of peace, what comes to your mind? Everyone has a little different understanding of what peace is. For a young mother of three children, it is a quiet afternoon without any crying or demanding children. For many people in the world, peace is the end of armed conflict and bloodshed. For others, peace is a sense of inner tranquility and contentment.

                In one way or another, we are all looking for peace in our lives. We don’t want our lives to be filled with turmoil. We want to find tranquility and security. In order to find the peace we long for, we may take a number of different paths.

                It is common today for people to seek peace through aggressive action. Whether they are protesting war or perceived injustice, they see the path to peace through protest and active resistance. They believe that if you want peace you have to fight for it.

                Some people take the exact opposite approach to finding peace. Instead of aggressively engaging their world, they choose to withdraw from it. These people seek peace through retreat and seclusion. They just move as far away from the cause of unrest as possible. There is a movement today of people leaving the big cities for a more peaceful environment in smaller towns and villages. In some extreme cases, a person might pull out of society completely, such as the monastic movement of the Middle Ages.

                Many people today are looking for peace through artificial means. When they feel they can no longer cope with the stress of life, they turn to drugs and alcohol to numb their senses. In this, they find a certain sense of peace, as long as the effects of the drug last.

                There is still another way that people strive to find peace. That is through embracing a cause that they feel will really make a difference in the world. It may be a political cause, a social cause, or an environmental cause. By focusing their energy on a specific cause, they find a sense of purpose and peace.

                There is one thing that is common with all of these ways of achieving peace; they are all temporary. They just don’t last for the long haul. The peace they offer is fragile and easily disturbed. Many people discover that they are dissatisfied with the results and become disillusioned.

                That raises the question, is there such a thing as genuine, lasting peace? If there is, how can we find it? At times, this quest looks hopeless. There is always another war, another endangered species, more noise and turmoil in our world. As we face this reality, we can slip into despair. But there is hope for finding peace. That hope is not found in a cause but in a person, Jesus Christ.

                Jesus promised that all who would put their faith in Him would find peace. Not the peace that the world offers, but a real, lasting peace that transcends the circumstances of life. The Jews have a word that describes this kind of peace; it is the world Shalom. Shalom is a sense of well-being that is not dictated by our surroundings. It is instead a feeling of completeness and soundness. It is a state of being that comes from the inside of a person and works its way into all of life. Ever in the midst of turmoil and strife a person can experience shalom. This is the kind of peace that Jesus is offering to us.

                The Bible calls Jesus the Prince of Peace. Our most common understanding of a prince is someone who is in a position of political and social power. In Jesus’ day, a prince was expected to lead his people into battle. Jesus turned that idea upside down. Instead of leading people into more conflict, Jesus leads people into peace.

                Jesus can do this for us through His character. Jesus was able to face all of the challenges of life and not lose His cool, so to speak. He could do this because He was grounded in a clear understanding of who He is and what His purpose in life was. When we place our faith in Jesus, we gain a new status as children of God. We are secure in Jesus no matter what the circumstances of life throw at us.

                Jesus accomplished this new identity for us through His death and resurrection. When Jesus died on the cross, He won the ultimate battle with sin and death. Jesus conquered sin and death and set us free from the consequences of our own sinful nature. As it says in Romans 8:1-2, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

                When we turn to Jesus in faith, He grants us peace before God the Father. We are reconciled to God for all of eternity. Nothing can then separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We are secure and we can live at peace with ourselves and with God. But Jesus also offers us peace with one another. Too often the cause of strife in our lives in competition with those around us. We feel we have to prove ourselves, or show that we are better than others. Because we have a new status with God, through Jesus, we no longer have to strive for these things. Instead, we are freed to really love and care for others, with no strings attached. Jesus loves us unconditionally, so we can love others unconditionally.

                The kind of peace that Jesus offers us is not a shallow emotion based on feelings and circumstances. It is a deep confidence and joy based on the victorious work of Jesus on the cross. The peace of Jesus’ companionship goes beyond the situations we might find ourselves in. So even in difficult times, we can experience peace. No matter what we face in life, we are never alone or abandoned. Jesus has promised to always be with us to strengthen and encourage us along the way.

                Too often in life, we settle for something less than real peace. We put much effort into creating an artificial peace that cannot last. But real peace is available to us, if we will only turn toward the Prince of Peace and follow Him.

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

My Hope is Built on _______

 Romans 5:5

And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

                 Over the past two years, our country has faced unprecedented challenges. The on-going pandemic has drained our energy. Even as we enter into a new year, we are faced with a new wave of COVID that continues to spread. Our political and social systems have been in constant turmoil. We have never been more divided as a nation than we are right now. Many people are facing this new year with little hope for a better future.

                In the face of all of these challenges, many people are looking for some glimmer of hope. As a nation, our hope was bolstered when the first vaccines were made available. But the vaccines have proven to be less than the answer we were looking for. As new strains of the virus have emerged, even those who have been vaccinated have contracted the disease, albeit at much lower and less severe levels. Many people placed their hope in a change of government leadership, but that too has turned out to be disappointing. Instead of drawing us together, our political system continues to pull us apart.

                One of the biggest causes of our hopelessness is not the pandemic or the political turmoil. It is an underlying philosophy of skepticism and denial of any absolute truth. In an environment where everyone gets to determine truth for themselves, there can never be true peace and harmony. Instead of peace, we get a constant battle for individual rights, wants and desires. Each person’s concept of truth is pitted against everyone else’s concept of truth. Those with the loudest voices win the moment, but only until someone with a louder voice emerges. Is hopelessness out fate? Do we need to resign ourselves to a world on chaos and despair? I can answer with a resounding NO! There is hope to be found and it is not in political systems or medical science or science in general. It is to be found in relationships, and especially one essential relationship.

                Hope is an essential ingredient for life. Everyone needs a certain level of hope to survive. Without hope, life is reduced to despair and mere existence. No one wants to be around a hopeless person for long. They drain our energy and kill our spirit. Hopelessness usually expresses itself in pessimism, cynicism, and an overall negative attitude. Hopelessness is the inability to see anything good in our world.

                All of us cling to our desire for some kind of hope. Hope gives us the energy to keep going and to face the challenges before us. I am not talking about the kind of hope that is mere wishful thinking. I’m talking about the kind of hope that is based on something solid. Real hope is deep confidence in something. It could be confidence is our own abilities, or in society, or in another person, or in a certain ideology. This confidence is what gives us the energy to press on.

                The problem we all face is that the things we place our hope in often disappoint us. When this happens, our hope begins to waver. We may abandon the object of our hope and go looking for something else to replace it. For a time, our hope may be renewed, until that new object or person fails to live up to our expectations. Then our hope wavers again.

                But there is a hope that will not disappoint us. It is a hope that is stable and satisfying. It is the hope that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. This hope is not controlled by the circumstances of life. It is a solid confidence in the person and promises of Jesus. There are at least three ways that a relationship with Jesus gives us a solid, enduring hope.

                First, Jesus offers us forgiveness and salvation. It is not popular today to talk about sin, yet we all live with a nagging feeling that something is wrong in our life; that some of our actions are wrong. We often live with an undefined sense of guilt that we just cannot shake. We can stuff it, deny it, even explain it away, but it still remains in the shadows of our mind. Jesus has offered us a permanent solution to our sin and guilt. Through Jesus death on the cross, He has made it possible for us to experience forgiveness and freedom from our sin and guilt. As it says in Colossians 1:134-14, For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

                The second way that Jesus offers us hope is by giving us the strength to face the challenges of life. Hope in Jesus is not just wishful thinking about a better tomorrow. It is a present reality for those who believe in Him. Jesus has promised to be our constant companion and guide throughout life. Through His Holy Spirit, He makes available to us the resources we need to thrive. As it says in Isaiah 40:31, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

                Finally, Jesus gives us hope for the future. One of the primary concerns in our society today is for justice. People are demanding that justice be done. Unfortunately, the justice that most people want it very narrow and one sided. They want justice for themselves, but do not want to face judgement themselves. Because of what Jesus has done on the cross, He is able to offer us true justice. For those who place their faith in Him, He offers forgiveness and reconciliation. As it says in Romans 8:1-2, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. In addition, Jesus promises that at the end of time all will be judged by their actions during this life. Death is not letting a person off from accountability, it is only the pathway to it. As it says in Romans 14:10-12, For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

                But our hope is noy just in ultimate justice being done. It is victory over death and life eternal. Jesus isn’t offering us some nondescript existence, but a joyful, abundant life both now and for all of eternity. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

                What are you putting your hope in? Has your hope been waning? Jesus wants to give you a hope that will last. A hope that will truly empower you to face the challenges of life; and not just to endure, but to thrive.

John 5:24

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.

THE GREATEST OBSTACLE TO FAITH

 Hebrews 11:6

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

                 I have been reading Tim Keller’s book, Making Sense of God. It is a masterful response to the prevailing attitude in our society that belief in God is irrelevant. As I have been reading, I was struck with the reality that many people today have bought into the idea that they have the right to determine their own course in life. We have raised the autonomy of the individual to the highest level. Each person has the right to determine for themselves what is right and wrong. Each person has the right to set their own standards for how they conduct their life. No one has the right to tell another person what to do or how they should live. As a society, we have drunk deeply of the cup of selfishness and self-centeredness. We call it self-esteem, and guard it tenaciously.

                In light of this overwhelming acceptance of our autonomy, many people have outright rejected the idea of God. God can only get in the way of a person’s freedom to live life as they wish. So, instead of dealing with the idea that there might be an authority greater than ourselves, we jettison the idea of God as uninformed, prosaic, and outdated. People in ancient times may have needed the idea of a god to give them purpose and direction in life, but we have progressed beyond that. We are better informed about our world and better equipped to face life on our own. We have the right to stand on our own two feet and determine the course of our lives for ourselves.

                This “new” autonomy is the greatest obstacle to faith. I put “new” in quotes because it isn’t really new at all. The sin of Adam and Eve in the garden was the sin of striving for autonomy. If they ate of the tree of good and evil, then they would be like God and would not need Him anymore. I don’t think they really understood that that was what they were seeking, but that was the outcome. They didn’t realize what they were sacrificing to “stand on their own two feet.” The consequences of their decision were no at all what they desired.

                People today are still seeking autonomy; the right to be the master of their ship. They don’t want anyone else telling them what they can and cannot do. At first, this approach to life does seem freeing, but the consequences are almost always not what the person was looking for.

                Several years ago, I read a biography of Ty Cobb, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. When he was a young man, his father told him that he would not amount to anything. He spent his entire life trying to prove his father wrong. As a baseball player and as a person he was ruthless, striving, and unrelenting. He accomplished greatness as a baseball player, although his father didn’t live long enough to see it. He gained financial success. But his life was empty. Near the end of his life, he was asked what he would do differently if he could go back and start again. His response was telling. “I would have friends.” He was the master of his ship. He set his own course in life. And in the end, he came up very short of his goal. Instead of being fulfilled, he was empty.

                We all face the challenge of wanting to be autonomous. We all desire to set our own course and make our own decisions. Within boundaries, this is not bad, but if we stray beyond the boundaries that God has set for us, the consequences will be less than satisfying. Our desire of autonomy is the greatest obstacle to genuine faith. As long as we insist on sitting on the throne of our life, we will struggle with our faith in God.

                The first step to genuine faith is giving up our autonomy. Jesus made it very clear.

Luke 9:23-25

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?

                 But rather than losing our freedom, we gain a more fulfilling kind of freedom; a freedom without regrets. Jesus didn’t come to make our life difficult and a drudgery. He came to fulfill our life; to give is the abundant life. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10) When we acknowledge God, through faith in Jesus Christ, we enter into a whole new life; a life that lasts for an eternity.

                As Tim Keller points out, all freedom has boundaries. When we live within those boundaries, we experience the joy and delight of our freedom. When we move beyond those boundaries, we actually forfeit our freedom. God has set the ultimate boundaries for life. If we will submit to those boundaries, we will discover amazing joy. If we refuse to submit to those boundaries, we may experience some temporary pleasure, but we will also face some unpleasant consequences.

John 3:16-19

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

 

We Are God’s Masterpieces

 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. 

Ephesians 2:10 

                When my children were in elementary school, I volunteered to teach a simple art class once a month. It was called Masterpiece Art. It’s not that I’m an expert in art. The materials were all prepared in advance; I just had to make it come alive for the children. Each year we studied a different aspect of art. For example, we studied classic portraits, landscapes, and still life. We studied specific painters like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Georgia O’Keefe.  One of my favorites was when we studied American western art.

                Much of what we studied would be classified as masterpieces. These were the defining works of particular artists. Each masterpiece bore the imprint of the artist. A Rembrandt is recognized by the style of the artist and is very different from a Picasso. Each masterpiece is unique. Although some artists painted the same theme over and over again, each painting had unique qualities that set it apart from the others. The untrained eye might think they were copies of one another, but the trained eye can clearly see the differences.

                We don’t often think of ourselves as masterpieces. We can see all of the flaws and the imperfections of our life. We look around and we don’t seem all that different from everyone else, at least on the surface. But the Bible tells us that we are God’s masterpieces. The word workmanship can be translated masterpiece. I want to invite you to attend spiritual masterpiece art class. Let’s explore some of the amazing qualities of God’s masterpieces.

We were created on purpose and for a purpose.

                Few of the great artists painted mechanically. What makes their art stand out is that they painted with purpose and direction. God doesn’t create generic people. He creates each of us uniquely, with purpose. God created us to do good works. Not just any good works, but good works in Christ Jesus. He created us to move in a direction that will demonstrate his glory through us.

We were created to reflect God’s image.

                A number of artists have painted self-portraits. They hoped to capture the essence of themselves and preserve it for all time. That is exactly what God did when he created us. We are the only part of creation that bears the image of God. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

 We were created to reflect God’s glory.

                Every masterpiece reflects the skill and the passion of the artist. We were created to demonstrate the glory of God. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

 We were created to live in relationship with God.

                Every artist has a particular bond with their work. For the best artists, a painting is not just a piece of work, but an expression of themselves. God created us to have a special bond with Him. His love for us is so strong that He sent Jesus to redeem us.

                There is a famous painting by Rembrandt called The Night Watch. It has been known by that name for centuries. Recently some specialists in the preservation of art endeavored to clean the painting. What they discovered startled everyone. The painting was not a night scene after all, but a morning scene. Dust, dirt and soot from candles had so darkened the painting that it took on a totally different look than the artist intended.

                Because of sin, our masterpiece has been marred. God’s glory has been dimmed by the soot of the world. God’s image has been twisted. Christ comes into our lives as the master restorer. He comes to clear away all the filth of sin and restore us to what God intended. In fact, he actually creates us all over again. 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

2 Corinthians 5:17

FINDING HOPE

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

                Into what are you placing your hope? That is a question we all need to consider. In the weird, unsettled times in which we live, we need hope. But what is the object of our hope? What is it that we are looking to to give us a sense of peace and confidence heading into the future?

                Many people have placed their hope in politics. If we can just get the right people in office, then the future will be okay. That sounds hopeful, but historically it has not played out so well. No matter which political party has been in power, the general sense of hopelessness has continued.

                Many people are placing their hope in science. Science has been the agent of progress. It has tackled many of the challenging questions that have faced humanity. It has had a significant number of “wins” along the way. But it has also unleashed a number of unintended consequences. It has often raised more questions that it could answer.

                Many people are placing their hope in human nature. If we just give people access to the right resources they will thrive. People are basically good. We can trust them to do the right thing. As much as we want to believe this, this too has proven to be a false hope. There are underlying issues within human nature that undercuts the positive outcome we are hoping for.

                Many people are looking to religion to give them hope. They are placing their hope in the mystery and the rituals of religion. They hope that by going through the outward activities of religion it will address their anxiety and fear. This too often falls short of the goal. Many people who have turned to religion to find hope have been disappointed and have turned away from religion.

                So where can we find genuine hope in our world? There is only one place where hope is to be found. It is to be found in the one who put this world together in the first place. It is to be found in the finished work of Jesus Christ. As Peter wrote, we have a living hope that is based on the amazing reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. His resurrection validated all that He taught and did. His resurrection transcends all the realities of this world. It raises us to a new plane of existence.

                This hope is not wishful thinking. It is a solid confidence in what God has promised through Jesus. It is a guarantee that no matter what happens to us in this world we are still secure in our relationship with Him. As Paul says in 1 Timothy 4:9-10, This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

                Placing our hope in Jesus does not mean all of our problems will go away. It doesn’t mean that we won’t struggle with the issues of life. It does mean that we will have a resource to draw from during those difficult times. It means that we will have the confidence to face the trials of life with strength and determination. There will be times when we are afraid, but we can go to the one who can take away our fear. There will times when we feel weak and powerless, but we can go to the one who is all-powerful. There will be times when we feel confused and disoriented, but we can go to the one who can lead us onto the right path. Our hope is not in our circumstances but in the person of Jesus Christ, who is above all of our circumstances.

                When we place our hope in Jesus, we have a solid foundation upon which to stand. We can have sure footing in life, even when the storms crash around us. Our life is secure in the living hope we have in Jesus.

Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

  

SECOND CHANCES

 Acts 13:13

From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

                 In my devotions today, I came across the story of John Mark’s failure to continue in the ministry with Paul and Barnabas. It is passed over lightly in Acts 13, but we know that it became a real point of contention between Paul and Barnabas. In Acts 16, we read that Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them on their second missionary journey, but Paul was dead set against it. Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas taking John Mark to Cyrus and Paul taking Silas as his new traveling companion. But that was not the end of the story. Somewhere along the way things changed between Paul and John Mark.

                Mark is mentioned in positive terms by Paul in Colossians 4:10 and 2 Timothy 4:11.

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) (Colossians 4:10)

    Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.     (2 Timothy 4:11)

                It is obvious that after Paul’s initial rejection of John Mark, he gave Mark a second chance, in which he proved himself as a worthy ministry companion. If that was the end of the story, that would be enough, but there is more. There is credible evidence that the author of the Gospel of Mark is none other than John Mark, the young man who disappointed Paul. God gave John Mark an enormous second chance to make a difference for the Kingdom, and he did.

                We tend to give lip service to second chances in our world today, but we rarely actually grant them. More often, we are looking for a reason to cut our ties with the one to whom we say we are giving a second chance. The old adage, “three strikes and you’re out,” is pretty universal.

                Jesus calls for a different approach. In fact, He insists on unlimited second chances. In Matthew 18 there is an interchange between Peter and Jesus that changes the dynamics of second chances.

Matthew 18:21-22

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"

Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. 

                Peter thought that he was being very generous when he offered to forgive seven times. But Jesus blew the doors off of that. Instead, He said that forgiveness needs to be unlimited. Actually, that is really good news for all of us, because Jesus set the standard for His forgiveness. When it comes to second chances, Jesus has an unlimited supply. If we will honestly come to Him and ask for forgiveness, He will always grant it, no matter how many times we have come back.

                I am greatly encouraged by the story of John Mark, because I have needed many second chances in my life. I am so glad that God has not applied the “three strikes and you’re out” rule to my life. If He had, I would have been gone a long time ago. Instead, He continues to offer me forgiveness and reconciliation every time I come back to Him in genuine repentance.

                Of course, this is not license to go on disappointing God at will. As Paul says, we have died to sin, so we should no more live in it. What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Romans 6:1-2) What it does offer us is a safety net for when we fail; a place to go and be restored.

                Just as John Mark was given a second chance, so we have been given it as well. And because we have experienced the grace of God in this way, we should extend that grace to those around us as well. God did not give up on John Mark. He eventually used him to write one of the Gospels. God has not given up on us as well. We are all the recipients of Jesus’ second chances.     

1 John 1:9

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 

MARKING TIME

 Psalm 90:12

Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

                Time flies, as the old adage goes. The older we get, the truer that statement becomes. Although a single day may feel like it is dragging, the months and years seem to move on at light speed. We often look back and wonder what happened to the time.

                In Psalm 90, Moses reflects on life and the brevity of time. He seems to be struggling with what we struggle with; time flies. Listen to his words.

The length of our days is seventy years--

or eighty, if we have the strength;

yet their span is but trouble and sorrow,

for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

Psalm 90:10

                 Moses’ conclusion is that we need to learn to value the time we have and manage it well. I think it is ironic that Moses said that the span of our life is 80 years, yet he lived to the ripe old age of 120. More and more people are living well past 80 these days. We know a lady who is 103. With this in mind it is ever more important for us to number our days.

                We can waste the time we have or we can invest that time. If we just coast along, we will look back on our lives and wonder where the time went. If we intentionally invest our time, when we are old, we can look back and rejoice over how we used our time. As a friend is fond of saying, life is about collecting memories. We are all collecting memories. Our memories will be filled with either joy or regret depending upon how we have used our time.

                Moses asked God to teach him to see his life in the right perspective. We need to same help. We need to ask God to teach us how to invest our time in things that matter. Paul challenges us to be wise in how we use our time. Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)

                We only have so much time to make a difference in our world. The daily choices that we make will determine if we invest our lives well or foolishly. To be very honest, when we look back over our lives it will be a mixed bag. None of us are focused and on task all of the time. But we can determine to use our time wisely. We can look for opportunities to invest our lives in others and in ways that bring glory to God.

                When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment, he responded with a two-part answer. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:30-31)

                The clock is ticking for all of us. We cannot stop it or slow it down. But we can maximize the time by living wisely. Then when we stand before God’s throne, we will hear those words, well-done good and faithful servant.

Psalm 34:12-14

Whoever of you loves life

and desires to see many good days,

keep your tongue from evil

and your lips from speaking lies.

Turn from evil and do good;

seek peace and pursue it.