“I must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.” (Jn. 9:4)
God the Father sent his Son, Jesus, from heaven to earth with an assignment to complete and a period of time to accomplish it. Mindful of this, Jesus moved purposefully through life and ministry, understanding that he was a servant according to the Father’s will. As his followers, we also live under a divine assignment to be completed within a predetermined lifespan.
Jesus said, “I must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.” (Jn. 9:4) He had just healed a man born blind who now could see. Doing the Father’s work brought glory to God on the earth. Likewise, we honor and glorify the Father when we do the work he assigned and empowered us to do.
Jesus, the Son of God, humbly submitted under the Father’s authority. He said he could do only what the Father showed him to do; that he could do nothing on his own. If the Son of God so humbly submitted to the Father’s plan, how much more should we?
Jesus knew his days on earth were numbered and that “night is coming”. One day he would die on the Cross. He had much work to do before that day arrived. This same sense of urgency should compel us to complete within our allotted number of days our divinely assigned tasks.
Time is precious. One day we will stand before the Lord and give account for our lives. The way we use our allotted time on earth determines how we live out eternity.
Driving home this truth, Jonathan Edwards sparked in 1734 the greatest revival ever experienced in North America. His sermon entitled, “The Preciousness of Time and the Importance of Redeeming It,” ignited the Great Awakening. He layed out three great time wasters that rob us of time that is then lost forever: idleness, wickedness, and worldliness.
Time is limited and passes quickly. Once it’s lost, it’s gone forever. Redeem the time. People in hell would love to have the time you have available now to invest wisely for and with the Lord.
At life’s end, the Apostle Paul could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Tim. 4:7) At the end of his earthly life, Jesus said to the Father, “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.” (Jn. 17:4)
Let’s strive to make the most of our opportunities. To die without regrets.
---Beverly Nickles