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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

"TODAY"



Hebrews 3:13 (NIV)
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.


When I read this passage, I must take a moment to consider the word Today. Even now as I type, spell check wants me to use lower case. Why did the writer put so much emphasis on the today word? It was so strongly stressed that the translators used capitals to bring home the urgent need. Digging deeper I find that the urgent, implied imperative associated with the word today; has as synonyms the terms, vital, necessary, and very important. Now that’s a great deal of stress for one word alone. So I ask again, why?

When you think about it, Today is really the only time that any of us has under our control. Yesterday is history, it can’t be undone. Tomorrow is the future, yet to be achieved. That leaves us with today and today alone. The enemy, Satan is a mastermind of deceitfulness. One who paints great illusions for us to believe, and we want to believe it. We want to take credit and say it’s our own creation. It’s easy to fall into the trap of complacency, delaying our action until some future point in time. A point we assume we can arrive upon. Remember Satan is a thief, in this case playing con man to rob us of opportunity.

Everyday we encounter many that would benefit from a simple act. That is, the act of kindness known as encouragement. Those who just might cling to some form of hope, with nothing more than a simple good word. Instead we look inward, not noticing, not caring, not thinking of the others, or maybe saying… it’s not my problem. Have we developed into a class structure, an “us against them” society? Indeed we have. Like the passage says, hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Satan has traded today’s opportunity for borrowed time. It’s time that neither he nor anybody else can really deliver. You see, time is only in God’s hands, He alone has the control. I say again, Satan is a thief, he has no time to trade… it’s a con. Legally, it’s theft by deception.

There are a few things that are for certain, one being this. God knows Satan, and Satan knows God. We, on the other hand, don’t know much of nothing. God is ever making an effort to guide us and keep us safe, because we don’t know better; while Satan is ever fooling us. That’s why we have “The Book”, and are instructed to meditate on it day and night. We may not know better, but we can learn. By the way, it seems that this day and night thing sounds familiar. I remember now, it forms a day. That’s a day from God. It’s a gift of time, an opportunity. So while we have this day, so long as it’s called “Today”, let us all encourage one another.

Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

You're Blessed To Be A Blessing,
Matt.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

THANK YOU MATT,

I REALLY ENJOYED BOTH POST BUT THE ONE ON ENCOURAGMENT REALLY BLESSED ME, YOU SEE I HAD ALLOWED THE ENEMY TO STEAL MY ENCOURAGEMENT.

AS A CHILD I DIDN'T GET MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT BUT AS I WALK IN MY HEALING AND PURPOSE THAT WAS ONE OF MY GIFTS TO ENCOURAGE OTHERS. THE ENEMY HAS ALWAYS FOUGHT ME ON THIS BUT SOME HOW I HAD LET HIS LIES OVERTAKE ME. I WAS NO LONGER WORKING IN THE MINISTRY GOD TOLD ME TO START, I HAD STOP GOING TO CHURCH SERVICES AND JUST NOT WANTING TO HEAR THE WORD. I HAVE REALLY BEEN IN A FOG. I'M SLOWLY COMING OUT BUT I HAVE NOT DEVOTED MY TIME BACK TO STUDYING YET. BUT I WILL GET THERE NOW SOONER THEN LATER. THIS POST REALLY HELPED ME SEE THESE THINGS I WAS DOING MORE CLEARLY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR POSITION IN THE BODY AND YOUR OBEDIENCE TO OUR FATHER.

I'M COMING OUT AND GETTING BACK IN MY POSITION

Bible_lover_Bill said...

One thing I learned from the C. S. Lewis book "Screwtape Letters" was that the spiritual enemy wants Christians to dwell on the past (because of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness) or dwell on the hopes for the future instead of focusing on doing the best with the current day's what should be precious time. And if we heeded to focusing on knowing Jesus Christ better and obeying what He taught and commanded (Philippians 2-3 and Ephesians 4-5), we would be transforming into being better ambassadors for God.

We are either living for God or ourselves, being unselfish or selfish, being Holy Spirit led for becoming more Christ-like or being selfish feelings led for humanism.

Jude (via the Amplified Bible)
“20 But you, beloved,
build yourselves up [founded] on your most holy faith
[make progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher],
praying in the Holy Spirit;
21 guard {and} keep yourselves in the love of God;
expect {and} patiently wait for the mercy
of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)--
[Who will bring you] unto life eternal.
22 and on some have mercy and compassion who waver {and} doubt.
23 [Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire;
on others have pity [but] with fear,
loathing even the garment spotted by the flesh
{and} polluted by their sensuality.

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When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or swerve from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
(Proverbs)

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