Time

As another year comes to a close, we are reminded that time passes by quickly. Job recognized this point when he said, "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle" (Job 7:6; KJV). Job also said, "Now my days are swifter than a runner" (Job 9:25; NKJV). It seems as if every year passes by entirely too fast, all 365 days of it (or in the case of leap years, all 366 days). We could even consider the length of a year in terms of hours. A normal year that is not a leap year consists of 8,760 hours. We all determine in our own minds how we will use the time that we have been given. How will we spend that time? How much of it will we spend working? How much of it will we spend with our families? How much will be spent in service to our Lord or study of His word?

The Bible gives us many truths about time including:
(1.) Time is short (Psalm 39:5; 90:9-10; Job 14:1-2; James 4:14).
(2.) God wants us to use our time wisely (Ephesians 5:16; Psalm 90:12).

Throughout all of history, there is only one occasion when the sun stood still and the day lasted longer. We read about it in Joshua 10:1-15. Joshua was leading Israel in battle and we read in Joshua 10:12, "Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon" (NKJV). Then in Joshua 10:13 we read that the sun did stand still, and in Joshua 10:14 that there had never been a day like that before it or after it.

We cannot expect the sun to stand still for us while we continue on in this life. It won't. We must use our time wisely. Once a moment passes by, it will not come back. We must number our days and use our time as wisely as possible.

The Christian Graces --- Add to your Brotherly Kindness, Love

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Pet. 1:5-7; NKJV).

Peter concludes these verses by instructing his readers to add to their brotherly kindness, love. The King James Version of the Bible uses the word, "charity." The Greek word that was used means unconditional love and it conveys the idea of putting the needs of others first. It is a sacrificial love. The great "love chapter" of the Bible (1 Corinthians 13) says, "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (1 Cor. 13:4-7; NKJV). This kind of love is seen best in the love that the Father has for the world, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16; NKJV).

We are to first love God (Mark 12:29-30), and to put Him first in all we do (Matt. 6:33). We also ought to love one another (Mark 12:31; 1 John 4:7-21). [Note: Please take a moment to read the reference from 1 John 4:7-21]. Loving one another includes the brethren, our family and friends, and our neighbors. However, perhaps the most difficult of all, we are commanded to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44-48). It might not always be easy, but as we continue to grow, let us strive to add to our brotherly kindness, love.