Most of us would readily agree that is to our advantage to spend time in God’s Word; to read the Bible. Yet, if the truth be told, very few of us spend a serious amount of time doing so. We proclaim that God gave us His Word to understand Him, to understand His plan for salvation, to comfort us, and to know how we may better be in alignment with His will. So, what’s the deal? Why are we so deficient in spending regular, quality time in the very special gift of the Word?
In spite of the fact that the Bible is so readily available, in so many formats, most of us would plead that we are too busy to get around to reading it, even if it’s only for 5 minutes a day. Now, you have to agree that there is something wrong with that picture, but I imagine quite a few people use that cop-out. I know, I have. Well, as a result, we are increasingly becoming Biblically illiterate. Take for example the “humorous” dialog. “What are the Epistles?” “Oh, those are the wives of the apostles, aren’t they?” “No, they are not”…. “Well, then whose wives are they?” Hopefully, you get my point.
If you are like me, you understand that there are serious demands placed upon our time. We have many distractions, and that means choices must be made. Sadly, enough time with God gets left for later… and that later often never comes, does it? The resulting effect is skinny, emaciated sheep. We are not the fit, healthy, buff sheep the Lord desires us to be, too many “in between snacks” and not enough healthy food. We end up being “Barney Fife” sheep with one bullet (one verse memorized), rather than Captain America Sheep who are equipped to conquer evil, armed with the Sword of the Spirit.
Killing time. Spending time. Wasting time. Losing time. Investing time. Of all the things we choose to occupy our time, none could be said to be more significant than to invest in our relationship with our Creator; but how do we do that? And, do we do that? Seems like we come up with all sorts of things that “need to be done” in the course of our lives, “urgent” things which squeeze God out of our daily lives. Our time with God is sacrificed on the “Tyranny of the Urgent” altar. You know it is time to change.
Scripture assures that an investment in the Word is a good way to make the most of your time. Psalm 1:2-3 gives us the promise:
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night,
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season,
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
Of all the things we have compressing upon our calendars, clocks, and schedules, finding a secluded place, reading, and meditating may seem a little outdated, but the Psalmist makes it clear the return-on-investment is oh-so-great!
In more ways than one, the time we have now is a present.
Well, there ya go! If life feels a bit wobbly, there is a suggestion. Get rooted.
Isn’t it about time?!
