“…Wherefore as the Holy Spirit saith, ‘Today if you will hear His voice…'” Hebrews 3:7
Dear Ones:
God’s assessment of time, specifically with regard to its value and importance, has a direct correlation with opportunity. When God created what the Bible calls “day,” He did so, not only to demonstrate His sovereign power and authority as the Creator, but to make us to see the importance of it, because He designed it, and brought it in to existence. Time is a measurement, not for God, but for man. What is it a measurement of and for? In a very real way it measures of the capacity and willingness of God to reveal the greatness of His goodness and mercy to mankind. Man can only receive just so much of the revelation of God, but in the matter and measurement of a “day,” we see that God has measured daily revelation of Himself, like daily bread, to correspond to the capacity of man to receive. The question then becomes, “Since a ‘day’ is a creation of God, a measurement of God’s measured blessing given to man, and man’s capacity to receive it, HOW then do we live it? Or, as in the words of the Apostle Paul, are we “redeeming” the time? It is a wonderful prayer that Moses uttered when he asked God: “So, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Ps. 90:12) If we are to live the “day” in a manner that is worthy of God, it must be by His wisdom, His way, for His glory.
We begin this quest of living well this day with the knowledge of the greatest blessing, and purpose of, the “day,” fellowship with God. In Psalm 95, we read: “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. TODAY if you will hear His voice.” (v.6-7) When Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He made it clear that our highest response the revelation of God was the worship of God, in Spirit and truth. “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shalt thou serve.” (Matt. 4:10) One very important aspect of the worship of God is “…hearing His voice,” reading the word of God, trusting the Holy Spirit to take it and use it in speaking to our hearts and minds. If we would use well the day, in wisdom, we need to begin with God, being alone with God in that quiet place of certain good, there to worship, to pray, and to receive from Him that which He desires to give, specifically, His word.
Secondly, we need to go out into the day with the Shepherd of our souls, to walk by the Spirit, trusting in Him to lead and guide, providing for every need. The Psalmist would write: “Satisfy us EARLY with Thy mercy.” (Ps. 90:14) What is the psalmist trusting the Lord for? He is believing the Lord, not only for present blessing, but FULLNESS of blessing. In Psalm 46:5, we read: “God shall help her, and that right early.” The believer is called upon to believe Christ, and all that is true of him or her IN Christ. God has called us to believe Him to FILL us with the Holy Spirit and to keep us filled. He has also called us to be FILLED with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Why? So that we will use well the opportunity that we have, in what is called “today,” to commune with God, to love and serve Him, and consequently to serve others.
Dear Father, Fill up our day(s) with Thy Son, by the Spirit. Keep us clean as we go forth in this world, having a good conscience before You, and boldness to ever and always come to Thee for every need. Do Thou quicken us to abide consistently in Christ, so that He will abide in us, and much fruit, the very fruit of His blessed LIFE, will be revealed to Thy glory. We praise and thank Thee in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad