VALUE OF A DAY
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At least once each day when I pray, I thank the Lord for giving me another day to serve Him. This week, He stopped me after I said this and asked, “Do you realize how valuable that gift of one day really is ?” I could not go on praying for the wonder of all that He showed to me. I couldn’t utter a word as one wave of truth after another came pouring down from Heaven. I want to share just a couple of those blessings with you today.
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.
On the internet there appeared a photo of a raccoon standing up like George Washington crossing the Delaware River, standing on the back of an alligator. It was a once-in-a-lifetime view. It would never happen again. Have you ever wished you had a camera because you knew the photo would be one that could never be repeated ?
George Freemont loved golf, and made arrangements long in advance to go golfing with some executives who were visiting his company for just one day. While near the second hole, he received an urgent call. His mother was dying and wanted to see him before she left. His mother had not spoken to him in years, and their relationship appeared to be broken till she lay on her deathbed.
George decided to continue playing golf and ignore his mother’s request to speak with him. Sitting at her funeral, it came to him that he had lost that one small time in his life when things could have gotten right between them. He tearfully lamented his decision. It was a decision that he could not redo, could not take back. It was done, and it was over.
It was a day in his life when the bitterness of decades could have been erased and peace could have been made. Such a thing would never happen again. He couldn’t get it back no matter how hard he tried or how long he cried. It was gone.
There are some things that will confront you today that you can never have back. You might not be aware of them because you take them for granted. But, once gone, this day cannot be retrieved. You cannot redo it. It is valuable. It has slipped through your hand and dropped into a book that you cannot alter.
1. SOME PEOPLE KNOW THE VALUE OF A DAY BUT OTHERS DON’T.
Matthew 13:45-46 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Jesus told about a man who understood the value of a single pearl. Others did not see the value of that pearl. Who would sell ALL that they had to obtain one simple pearl ? It didn’t matter what others thought of Peter, James, John….and YOU… What mattered is that Jesus gave His all for His Church. For YOU. To HIM, you are valuable. To others, they can take you or leave you.
A. SOME HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT THAT IT IS A GIFT FROM GOD.
IN GHANA, PEOPLE WITH FLASHLIGHTS AND BUCKETS WOULD WALK THE STREETS, AND PICK UP DIAMONDS, AND THEN TAKE THEM INTO A DEALER WHO MIGHT GIVE THEM 10 OR 12 DOLLARS FOR THE WHOLE BUCKET. THEY NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT JUST ONE OF THOSE DIAMONDS COULD SELL FOR A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN EUROPE OR THE UNITED STATES.
B. CHRISTIANS IN AMERICA ARE USED TO AN ABUNDANCE OF EVERYTHING.
WE HAVE SO MUCH THAT ONE OF OUR NATIONAL PROBLEMS IS THAT WE HAVE TOO MUCH TRASH. MANY PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE SO MUCH LEFTOVERS THAT THEY THROW AWAY ENOUGH FOOD EACH WEEK TO FEED A FAMILY IN A POORER COUNTRY FOR THAT ENTIRE WEEK.
We easily take the opportunities God gives us as things that will be repeated the next day, and if we don’t use them then, they will be there the next day. Not so. Each day is valuable and many of the things we have one day we will not have the next.
2. EACH DAY IS AN INVESTMENT. WE INVEST THE HOURS INTO THE WORK WHICH GOD WANTED DONE, OR WE USE THEM FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
A. WE ARE STEWARDS OF ALL THAT GOD GIVES TO US.
THAT MEANS, WHEN HE GIVES US A DAY, WE MUST GIVE AN ACCOUNT OF HOW WE HAVE USED THAT TIME FOR HIM.
Luke 16:2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
B. IF WE USE THAT DAY FOR WRONG, WE WILL SEE IT POISON THE DAYS THEREAFTER.
On one day, the prodigal son decided to go ahead with his plans. He had already made some arrangements, packing, gathering things together. But, that day is when he left home and carried out his foolish plan. On the many days that followed, he suffered greatly because of it.
Luke 15:13-16 And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
3. CAN WE LEARN TO VALUE THINGS PROPERLY ?
Let’s pretend that you have been the beneficiary of $1 million dollars. After you pay taxes on it, you have a lot of money left. So, you buy a couple new cars, buy that new house you have been wanting, put in an Olympic size swimming pool, pay for your child’s college tuition in advance, give money to your friends who wanted to get out of debt, go on a vacation around the world, but a new RV and do some traveling with just your spouse…. and then you look at your bank statement. It says that you have only $ 1000 left. Will you be more careful with that remaining money than you were when you first got all that money ? Of course !
The Christian has a limited income of days. We are given the choice of how we will spend them. When you get older, you often evaluate what you should do with the remaining ones. They become more precious, and you often plan them out more carefully than when you were young.
HAVE YOU EVER REGRETTED NOT SPENDING ENOUGH TIME WITH SOMEONE SO YOU COULD BRING THEM OUT OF THE WORLD AND INTO THE JOY OF THE LORD ?
TIME IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN NEVER GET BACK AGAIN.
SOME PEOPLE GO TO GAME SHOWS, ENTER RAFFLES, OR GIVE A HUGE AMOUNT TO A POLITICAL CAUSE JUST TO HAVE DINNER OR SPEND A COUPLE HOURS WITH A FAMOUS PERSON. IMAGINE WHAT THEY WOULD DO IF THEY GOT TO SPEND A WHOLE DAY ! BUT, CHRISTIANS HAVE THE BLESSING OF EACH DAY WITH GOD. HOW MUCH CAN WE LEARN ? HOW MUCH INSTRUCTION OR CORRECTION CAN WE GET IN THAT TIME SO WE CAN PLEASE GOD MORE ? EACH DAY IS IMPORTANT, AND NONE SHOULD BE TAKEN LIGHTLY.
1 Corinthians 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
HAVE YOU EVER WANTED JUST ONE HOUR TO GO BACK AND APOLOGIZE TO SOMEONE, OR MAKE THEM SEE THAT YOU REALLY CARED ? YOU CAN NEVER PICK UP THAT MOMENT AGAIN.
THERE COMES A DAY WHEN NOTHING YOU DO CAN CHANGE YOUR STANDING BEFORE GOD. THE PEOPLE OF NOAH’S TIME HAD A LAST DAY ON EARTH. ONCE GOD SHUT THE DOOR OF THE ARK, THAT DAY WAS TO BE THEIR LAST.
HAVE YOU EVER SPOKEN TO SOMEONE, AND THEY SEEMED INTERESTED IN YOUR FAITH, BUT YOU DIDN’T SPEAK THE WORDS THEY NEEDED TO HEAR ? THE OPEN DOOR MAY NEVER BE OPEN ON ANOTHER DAY. THEIR OPEN DOOR COULD HAVE BEEN OPEN FOR MANY DAYS, BUT ON ONE PARTICULAR DAY, TI WILL CLOSE. IF THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE LORD, THEY WILL SUFFER FOR THEIR SINS FOREVER.
There was an old man in a wheelchair who knew that so long as he was on this earth, he would be unable to walk and run as he once did. Some visitors from out of town came to see him, and he was happy. He gave this this testimony. He said that he received Jesus Christ as a teenager. He grew up with very little rebllion. He loved his church and was always there. He taught a Sunday School class, and he sang in the choir. He gave out Gospel tracts and on Christmas he decorated his house with lights outside to proclaim the Good News. Then, he said that the most important day of his life was when he received Jesus as his Savior and Lord. Not even his wedding day compared, and he had been married for 50 years. He can remember the birth of each of their children. He can remember recieving awards from the company where he worked for 30 years. But, the most important day was his day of Salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)
”The Value Of A Day”
A Bible Study with Dr. Ed J. MacWilliams
071215
