LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Redeeming the Time
We are often surprised by how quickly time passes. Many times, at the end of the day, we realise that there are still so many things left to do. This does not seem to be anything new. Moses, a man of God, already advanced in age, cried out to the Lord: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Ps. 90:12).
The Old Testament records episodes in the life of Israel in which the Lord did not count the time. When the people did not serve God, their days were not taken into account; it was wasted time. This teaches us that there are days in our lives that are not counted by God.
The life of the unbeliever is spiritually barren; what’s more, none of his days count for God. Before we turned to Christ, not a single day of our lives counted for God. We were dead in trespasses and sins; there was nothing worth mentioning in them.
Today, some of us have been in the Lord's ways for five, ten, twenty, or perhaps more years. However, how much of that time actually counts before God? From our personal history, the days when we have not lived in His presence are not counted. If we examine it carefully, we will see that there are many barren days: days when we’ve been busy with our own affairs, days when our hearts have been cold, have become indifferent, and our faith has been extinguished because of disobedience or sin.
Surely there are many fruitless days in which we have not glorified God, for which we must repent. However, when the Spirit brings this light to our hearts, a word of comfort also comes. The Lord says: "Return to me with all your heart... and I will restore to you the years that the locust, the grasshopper, the caterpillar and the cutworm have eaten" (Joel 2:12, 25).
When the people of Israel forgot God, the fields were ravaged by locusts. So too today, turning away from the Lord brings ruin. But He wants to help us; He wants us, like Paul, to complete our race with joy, to count all our days positively.
Locusts represent everything that destroys the fruit of our communion with God. What is decimating your harvest? Surely, running here and there, wasting our time on fruitless pursuits, is a major factor in the deterioration of our spiritual life.
John the Baptist was a Nazarite, a man wholly consecrated to God. When we read about his life, we find a very curious fact: he ate locusts. This unique fact gives us an example. God's abundant grace makes us wise to count our days and put an end to everything that threatens our harvest. God's promises are faithful and true. If we turn to him, he will make all things new for us. Lost time will be restored and counted in our favour.