Using Your Time For God: Day Four

Using Your Time For God: Day Four
(Psalms 57:8, Psalms 63:1, Psalms 59:16)

Today’s devotional suggested creating a schedule for the week and seeing how much time can be redeemed. I, of course, have my work schedule but how much of my time to I plan for when the time is actually not spent working for someone else? How much more could I accomplish throughout each day if I had a schedule to follow?

Truth is, I could probably get a lot more accomplished if I had time planned out for specific things. Firstly, it would force me to work on things smarter. If you only have an hour to accomplish something, you find a way to get that thing done in an hour, when you may have normally pushed that out to two hours. Secondly, when you plan out the day, you think of more things you want to get done than when you just live minute to minute. Redeem the time before it falls away.

If we can spend our free time educating ourselves in some way, we will be the better person for it. Yeah, it is fun from time to time to relax and do absolutely nothing, but do we need to do that with all of our free time?

Awake, my glory; awake, harp and lyre. I will awake at dawn.
-Psalm 57:8

One of the best times to be able to redeem is the early morning. Since so few people wake up early, there’s so much more you can accomplish by being awake when no one else is. Think of all the things you need to do in solitude. Now, what better time to do them than when no one else is even awake…

O God, you are my God; I will seek you diligently. My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you as in a dry and weary land without water.
-Psalm 63:1

What better way to start out the day than by seeking God? No one else is around, so why not use this time to find the face of Yahweh. If we can wake up to His refreshing Living Water, how much more alive will be be…

But as for me, I will sing of Your strength, and I will hail your loyal love in the morning, because you have been my high stronghold and a refuge in my time of trouble.
-Psalm 59:16

Use your time wisely. Let yourself dwell in the stronghold of God. Life won’t always be easy – in fact, we’re told that it won’t be because we are being purified through tribulation – but if we rest against the upright God we will make it through to the other side. So, redeem the time we have to prepare for the times when we’ll feel like we have no time. Be prepared.

Using Your Time For God: Day Three

Using Your Time For God: Day Three
(Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:8, Roman 8:5)

All of my time is really God’s time. This is the key thing to keep in mind. We’re usually pretty jealous of our free time, but God is jealous of the time we commit to Him. A common saying in society is, “time is money.” This is very true, God has given us a certain amount of time which we are to be good stewards with. It’s His time, but He’s given it to us to invest in the Kingdom. Are we going to be good stewards and invest that time wisely? What fruit are we able to harvest each day from the time we spend?

Are we using our time effectively? In the devotional today the subject of multitasking was brought up. It was suggested that one of the best times to get planning done was while showering. I completely agree with this. For me, I get a lot of my planning for what I’m going to do at work accomplished while I’m in the shower. Likewise, when I’m driving to work (or anywhere) this is a great time to do some problem solving.

If we train our brains to do some problem solving while we’re doing tasks which don’t take up too much brain power, we’re able to redeem time which we normally wouldn’t be accomplishing all that much. Which allows us to use other time which would be spent doing that problem solving for something else. Before too long, we’re getting a whole lot more done throughout the day.

You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. (Isa 26:3 HCSB)

If we can bring our minds to the place where we’re firm in our convictions, and we’re steadily moving toward the things of God, He will give is a peace that passes understanding. Literally, when this verse says “perfect peace” it’s repeating the word “shalom”. So, shalom shalom; may the perfect peace of God go with you throughout your day.

Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honorable, whatever things are right, whatever things are pure, whatever things are pleasing, whatever things are commendable, if there is any excellence of character and if anything, praiseworthy, think about these things.
-Philippians 4:8

This is a verse that I like to keep remind myself of throughout each day. I actually have this verse written down on a notecard and hung up on a doorframe in my house. It’s good to have this reminder of what we should focus on. We can justify spending our time doing many things which may not be directly against the Word of God, but are those things profitable? If they’re not, why bother wasting the time on them…

For those who are living according to the flesh are intent on the things of the flesh, but those who are living according to the Spirit are intent on the things of the Spirit.
-Romans 8:5

The big takeaway is that, no matter what we’re doing, we should be listening to the Spirit. This comes back to how effectively we’re using the time we’re given. This past week I watched the TV show Stranger Things. It was an interesting show which was entertaining but I went into it wanting to listen to what the Spirit would say to me. I wanted to be able to watch it and notice all of the occult symbolism in it so that when people would want to talk about the show I could converse with them, but also bring up why the writers made certain decisions. And If I’m able to point out the occult aspects of the show, I may be able to open someone else’s eyes to how a lot of our entertainment is programming us to just accept these sort of luciferian ideas. Maybe this isn’t how we should redeem our time every time, but this is a good example of how I try to redeem the time that I spend doing ordinary 

Using Your Time For God: Day Two

Using Your Time For God: Day Two
(Psalms 89:47, Hosea 10:12, Mark 13:33)

Everyone starts each day with the exact same amount of time. The thing that separates us is how we use that time. On the days that I’m working I could probably us my time better but, for the most part, my day is scheduled in a manner that I really can’t deviate all that much from the overall plan for the day. Sure, there are pieces of it that I can swap around, and there are pieces of it that (if I feel that it would be a better use of my time) I can throw out altogether. But, all things considered, my workdays use time wisely.

Now, my days off are an entirely different story! And this is actually something that I’ve been trying to work on as of late. My typical day off is spent on my couch, relaxing. I’d like to say that I do this because I get so worn out during my days of work that I need to take the days of no work to relax and recharge. This may even be a little bit true. But there’s so much more that I could be doing.

More and more I question what I’m doing with my time and what more I could be doing. Even on my workdays, I could better use the time before or after work, but I may as well focus on the days off, when I have the most “free” time to work with. Instead of watching that TV show, couldn’t I be reading the Bible? Instead of taking that nap, couldn’t I be spending time in prayer? Why have I separated relaxing and edifying my spirit? Why can’t they be the same thing?

I don’t want to sell myself short, a lot of the time when I’m relaxing on the couch “watching TV” I am actually watching different Biblical teachings. So maybe I haven’t completely separated relaxing from edifying my spirit. But I still feel that there’s more that I could be doing. This is something that I plan on working on over the next few weeks (and probably over the course of the rest of my life). Do I use the time I have in the best way possible?

I started out by saying that we’re all given the exact same amount of time in each day; my quest is to find the best use of every minute. Maybe sometimes the best use will be to take a nap. But that’s probably not nearly as much as I’d like to think…

Remember what my lifespans is. Remember for what vanity you have created all the children of humankind.
-Psalm 89:47

God knows how long our lifespan is going to be, but we don’t. We should probably make the best of what time we have.

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap loyal love. Break up for yourself fallow ground; it is time to seek Yahweh so He will come and rain righteousness upon you.
-Hosea 10:12

If the time that we spend is used seeking God, the time that we find in the future will be more loving and constructive. If we seek righteousness, that is what He will give us.

Watch out! Be alert, because you do not know when the time is!
-Mark 13:33

Today could be the day that your time runs out. Have you done everything you can to do the things you want to do?

Using Your Time For God: Day One

Using Your Time For God: Day One
(Ephesians 5:15-16, Psalms 31:15, 1 Corinthians 7:29)

When we’re young we go out of our way to make the most of the time we have. When I was a kid I played as hard as I could because that was what was important to me. Today’s devotional talked about how, as a young student the author’s (R.C. Sproul) favorite classes were gym and recess (mine, too) because he loved playing so much. When I was there, in that time, I would get mad if anyone tried to take me away from my play time. Even when my mom would call me in to eat, I would be mad because I was having a good time playing.

I say, now, that God is the most important thing in my life, but do I treat my time with Him with as much zeal as I used to show toward my play time? Do I rush home from work so that I can open up my Bible and see what He has in store for me? Do I spend my entire breaks in prayer so I can better learn the voice of the Father?

#relationshipgoals

Too often I spend my free time on the couch, in front of the TV. Sure, more often than not, I’m watching a teaching of some sort, but I’m not spending time with God. If anything, I’m spending time looking at Him.

It’s time to draw closer. It’s time to thirst for Living Water. It’s time to be what I’m intended to be.

Therefore, consider carefully how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of the time because the days are evil.
-Ephesians 5:15-16

Am I making wise decisions? The day is evil, all the day long, so what can I do to redeem the time I spend? Can I practice showing love, even when I don’t necessarily feel it toward those around me? Too often I default to sarcasm and derision. I need to practice showing love so that it can become my default.

My times are in Your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and from those who pursue me.
-Psalm 31:15

If I can sacrifice my time to God, He can use it better than I can. I can try to run it as best as I know how, but it’s gonna be put to so much better use if I give it to God. Only God can deliver me from my enemies. If I try to deliver myself, I usually just find that I’ve walked right into their midst. So why bother wasting my time and energy, just give it to God to begin with…

But I say this, brothers: the time is shortened, that from now on even those who have wives should be as if they do not have wives
-1 Corinthians 7:29

God, and our service to Him, should be the most important thing in our life. This verse isn’t saying to ignore the vows we’ve made, but that we should honor those vows by first honoring the vow that we made with God when we gave our life to Him. Time is short, make the most of it!

Psalm 84

We sing the song, but do we mean it? Do we even understand what we’re saying, if we’re not living it out?

Let’s look at it and see what we see:

How lovely is Your dwelling place, LORD of Hosts. I long and yearn for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Even a sparrow finds a home, and a swallow, a nest for herself where she places her young -- near Your altars, LORD of Hosts, my King and my God. How happy are those who reside in Your house, who praise You continually. Selah Happy are the people whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a source of springwater; even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings. They go from strength to strength; each appears before God in Zion. LORD God of Hosts, hear my prayer; listen, God of Jacob. Selah Consider our shield, God; look on the face of Your anointed one. Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather be at the door of the house of my God than to live in the tents of wicked people. For the LORD God is a sun and shield. The LORD gives grace and glory; He does not withhold the good from those who live with integrity. Happy is the person who trusts in You, LORD of Hosts! (Psa 84:1-12 HCSB)

Let’s start with the one that everyone knows, “Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else” (Better is one day in your courts than thousands elsewhere.) Take that in. Read it again. Do you have it now? What we’re saying when we read this verse (or sing that song) is that, no matter what I could do in a thousand days (almost three years) I would rather just have one day where I could be in the presence of God.

Forget that there’s not time in heaven because it’s eternal, we’re literally saying that all of the things that we could accomplish in 2 and ¾ years are nothing compared to being near God for one day. And, while this should absolutely be our attitude, how many of us go out and live our life that way when we’re finished singing the song? I’m just as guilty here as anyone else, so I don’t want it to seem like I’m coming down on anyone other than myself. I have my devotions every morning (ok, fine, most mornings) and then I get ready for the day and by the time I hit the car to drive to work I’m usually so entrenched in “the world” that I’ve forgotten what my devotions were even about. And then by the time I get to work I’m lucky if I even think of the Bible, and I work in a bookstore that sells Bibles!

This is so deeply convicting to me that I’m surprised that I’m writing it.

It’s time for an attitude adjustment. It’s time for a compass realignment.

How lovely are Your dwelling places, O יהוה of hosts!

I read the Bible and I seek out understanding, but do I really understand what the dwelling places of God look like? It’s possible that this psalm was written specifically about the physical Tabernacle of God, but the text seems to indicate that we’re talking about the spiritual reality of the places where God dwells and the praise and worship that goes on around Him. Since we’ve already brought up one song, I’ll mention here that another song comes to my mind: “Open the eyes of my heart, LORD, I want to see You.” Again, we sing the song, but how much do we go out of our way to truly see God?

My being has longed, and even fainted, For the courts of יהוה; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living Ěl.

We live so far removed from a time when there was a Temple where God actually resided that we don’t know how to treat our bodies, which are now the Temples where God resides. Look at how much reverence is given to God’s dwelling place here, and we eat at McDonald’s. This is the holy synagogue of the Creator of the universe, and I treat it like it’s a bag of bones which gets me from one place to the next.

Even the sparrow has found a home, And the swallow a nest for herself, Where she has put her young ones – Your altars, O יהוה of hosts, My Sovereign and my Elohim.

Jesus talked about birds, “"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”(Matt 6:26)” They don’t need to sow or reap or gather because they’ve nested, and put their faith, on the altars of God. But we (I) strive so hard to make the most out of what we’ve got. Why not let God make the most out of what He’s given us (me)? The convicting continues…

Blessed are those who dwell in Your house, They are ever praising You. Selah. Blessed is the man whose strength is in You, Your Highways are in their heart.

I love my Creator, but can I truly say that I live in His house? How much do I step outside and sleep in the yard? That’s what it feels like. I want to be close to Him, but I also want to step away and do MY thing whenever I want to. Why do I still want to do my thing? Why is my thing not His thing? Why is this even a thing?

Passing through the valley of weeping, They make it a fountain; The Teacher also covers it with blessings. They go from strength to strength, Appearing before Elohim in Tsiyon.

The Valley of Baca (or, the valley of weeping), was a desert which pilgrims on the way to Jerusalem for one of the Feasts would raise up so many praises to their Lord that that dry place would seem like an oasis. Especially now, with the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we bring the Temple of the LORD to the rest of the world. Wherever we go, there He is. But do I really live that out? When I’m walking through the dry places, do those around me get nourished with the Living Water which comes from Jesus? Or, do I let the dry places control me and my words and actions? I have to admit, it’s mostly the latter. We’re marching on our way to Zion, we (I) have to keep that in the forefront of our thoughts. We will shortly see our King and our God. That alone is reason enough for the smile that’s on my face as I’m typing this.

O יהוה Elohim of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ! Selah.

We can rest easy knowing that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob does hear our prayers. We have been born far from Zion but the Feast is approaching and we’re on our way home. The LORD, our God, can hear our prayers, and He can hear our praises. Let this desert become a lake, in the renewal our God can bring!

O Elohim, see our shield, And look upon the face of Your anointed.

Back when this was written the shield would’ve been in reference to the king, but the final King of the Jews has died and risen from the grave, bringing us back into covenant with God. So when we ask God to see our shield and look upon the face of His anointed, we’re doing the one thing which will give us access to His presence. Because Jesus, our shield and the anointed of God, has died for our sins we can now present ourselves as justified before God. And because we have been justified, we can now be seen as righteous before God. Now let’s finish the race…

For a day in Your courts Is better than a thousand days. I have chosen rather to be a doorkeeper In the House of my Elohim, Than to dwell in the tents of the wrong.

There it is again, but this time let’s take a closer look at the second half of the verse: “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” Do we truly live like this? Would we rather hold the door for those going into the presence of God than have a place to sleep, even if it was around those who seek out wrongdoing? If I’m honest, this is a struggle for me. But every day that goes by, every week that passes, I’m moving out of that tent of wickedness. Keep your eye on the prize!

For יהוה Elohim is a sun and a shield; יהוה gives favour and esteem; He withholds no good matter From those who walk blamelessly.

When we’re traveling through life, let God be the light the allows us to see our path. He won’t light the wrong path, and He will illuminate the stones in the path so we can avoid them. His Spirit will help us walk in the purity which will keep us blameless. Yah be praised!

O יהוה of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

Though the pilgrimage is still far from over, the path is getting lighter and journey is getting easier. The yoke I was pulling is no longer on my shoulders. What’s on my shoulders now is easy, and getting easier.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Mat 11:28-30 ESV)

Devotional Rewind: Is Your Gospel Big Enough

This past week I picked the "Is Your Gospel Big Enough" plan from the Bible app. This devotional plan was very well put together and I got a lot out of it. It also had a decent amount of Scripture reading, which is always something that I like in a plan. I would recommend this one if you're looking for a plan to do.

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 1
(1 John 4:9-10, Jeremiah 29:11, Jeremiah 1:5, Psalms 139:13-16)

So often we think of Jesus as nothing more than the guy who died for our sins so that we could have eternal life. While this is true, He is so much more than that. We tend to go about our lives as if nothing has changed. Sure, we search out what we’re supposed to act like when we’re Christians so that we can pattern ourselves after that, but how often do we treat Jesus as more than words on a page? We give lip service to saying that Jesus rose from the grave, but how often do we treat Him like he’s alive? Being a follower of Christ is supposed to be more than acting nice; being a follower of Christ should be acting like Him. Being a follower of Christ is supposed to be more than reading words on a page; being a follower of Christ is having a personal relationship with a very much alive Son of God.

By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God sent His one and only Son into the world in order that we may live through Him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
-1 John 4:9-10

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 2
(Genesis 1-2)

This devotional plan is talking about something called “The Four Chapter Gospel”. Maybe I’m out of the loop here but I’ve never heard of this before. Apparently the 4 chapters are: 1. Creation 2. Fall 3. Redemption 4. Consummation. In day 2 of this devotional we looked into chapter 1 of the four chapters.

Why did God create us?

I think that too often we view creation with our 21^st century eyes. Regardless of whether you believe in a literal 6-Day creation, or if you believe that 15 billion years ago there was nothing and then it exploded and led to everything that you see today, we’ve allowed “science” to take away the awe that we should have for our Creator God. God didn’t create us because of some cosmic accident. He chose to create us. He chose to speak the Words which brought forth light. He chose to say the things which brought plants and animals and me and you into existence. This isn’t all some happenstance occurrence. We’re here for a reason.

God doesn’t “need” anything, but He chose to need us. If God chose to need us – chose to open that vulnerability – how can we do anything less than choose to love Him and choose to know Him?

And God saw everything that He had made and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning, a sixth day.
-Genesis 1:31

And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. And God blessed the seventh day, and He sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work of creating that there was to do.
-Genesis 2:2-3

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 3
(Genesis 3)

On day three of this devotional we look into the 2^nd chapter of the Four Chapter Gospel: The Fall. This chapter is not just a look at the events of the fall, but it is a look at why the events happened, and what we can learn from that in order to walk out our lives more in accordance with the desires of our God.

When broken down to its most basic definition, sin is disobeying God’s commandments. Adam and Eve had only one commandment: Do not eat the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. When we disobey God’s commandments we open ourselves to the diving retribution of God. The Satan doesn’t have the authority to just attack us, we must open ourselves up to these attacks by disobeying God. The Satan didn’t make Adam and Even eat the fruit, he convinced them to question their God, and this led them into disobedience.

In Revelation 2:14 Jesus warns the church of Pergamum to beware of the doctrine of Balaam. This is the same trick the devil pulled on day one (or day six, I guess…); make the people of Yahweh disobey their God and this will open them up to punishment. Balaam couldn’t curse the Israelites because God had blessed them. But Balaam advised Balak that if he could get the Israelites to sing against Yahweh that they would be opening themselves up to a curse.

Balaam couldn’t directly curse God’s children because they were set apart and blameless. Not even the Satan could come against God’s children until they came into disobedience. We must be vigilant in seeking the will of the Father, and doing everything in our power to stay in that will. If Jesus thought that it was important enough to warn the end times churches about the doctrine of Balaam, it’s probably something that we should still be concerned with today.

But the serpent said to the woman, “You shall not surely die. For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods, knowing good and evil.”
-Genesis 3:4-5

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 4
(2 Corinthians 5)

Redemption opens up the creative process. In the beginning we were created in God’s image, to be creators. When man fell out of grace, the creative process was stifled. But now, that process has been redeemed. What can we create, for God?

Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.
-2 Corinthians 5:17

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 5
(Revelations 21)

Restoration

When Christ returns all things will be made new. We have been made new in Christ already but there will be a restoration of all things, in the end. We should seek to create new things for the kingdom. Not in place of Christ, but to show the world what is possible. Messiah will be the one who shows the world, in perfection, what restoration truly is. Jesus is the final answer, but we can show the world what the love of Jesus is like.

“And He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any longer, and mourning or wailing or pain will not exit any longer. The former things have passed away.”
-Revelations 21:4

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 6
(John 3:17, Ephesians 1:11)

In the common telling of the gospel story there are 2 chapters presented (Fall and Redemption), and this can lead to misunderstanding concerning a number of things: Our true destiny; why we were created in the first place; what we were created to do; the universal nature of salvation; it is bigger than sin; it allows us to view a difference between sacred and secular, when in our lives there should only be sacred; salvation is about more than just a free ride to heaven, we should seek to know and love God fully while here on earth.

Focusing on this “Four Chapter Gospel” doesn’t make a person more saved than anyone else, but it allows your faith to be something that can take over your life. I think there are many people who already look at their faith this way, even if they don’t think about it in this way. We just need to study the Scriptures and be willing to learn.

For God did not send His Son into the world in order that He should judge the world, but in order that the world should be saved through Him.
-John 3:17

Is Your Gospel Big Enough: Day 7
(Genesis 2:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:2-3, John 15:16)

We put so much time into our relationships with those around us (well, most of us do – some of us try to stay away from people as much as possible…) but how much time do we put into our relationship with God? I’m not saying that there’s not a good reason to build that relationship with your coworkers, or your family, or your significant other. Relationships aren’t just a thing that we have to deal with; healthy relationships are what promote happiness, strength and growth. But, why don’t we invest our energies in promoting growth with God? Do we suppose that because He is God He’ll understand that we would really like to get to know Him better but we’re kinda busy right now? Is our excuse that God knows our heart and so He knows that we want to get to know Him better?

Well, first of all, don’t go pushing for God to judge your heart. After all, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). And secondly, if your true wish (your heart’s desire) was to build a better relationship with God, you would be doing it.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and your fruit should remain, in order that whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give you.
-John 15:16