Morning Manna by Rufus Parker - 2018 March 17

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth? I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-11).

Today’s Morsel:   Every day, I hear people say, “I don’t have enough time.”  Where did it go?  Why don’t we have enough time?  God gives us 24-hours and we don’t have enough time?  Are you allowing Satan to steal your time?  People are so tired from work because Satan has them at the grid because they allowed him to steal their time.  Not enough time?  How do you manage your time?  Why are you allowing someone else to manage your time?  Paul said, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).  Have you been hoodwinked by the enemy of your soul?  Has he stolen your time?  Jesus said, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).  Satan wants to steal your time because he knows that when you are tired:

• You can’t think right
• You are easily agitated
• You won’t pray
• You don’t want to go to church
• You won’t read your Bible
• You won’t witness
• You won’t have joy in your life
• You will soon become depressed and discontented

And you’ll eat more, and you’ll get fat, and you become discontented and sluggish, so you’ll work more, and are tired more, so you can’t rest anymore!  All because you let the devil steal your time.  And you are tired, and because you are tired, you get angry easily, and because you are angered easily, you yell and scream at your spouse and your kids, and your dog and your cat, and you lose your temper, and you lose your patience, and you start looking for peace, because your peace is gone, because you let Satan steal your time, because you were trying to make enough dollar, because you wanted to be able to buy something else, and you lost your time, so you lost your joy, because you lost your time, and you lost your peace, because you lost your friend, because you didn’t have time to spend with your friend, which is Jesus, the One who gives you the time, who replenishes your money, the One who gives you joy, who gives you peace, all because you didn’t think that you had enough.  And because you didn’t think that you have enough, you left Jesus, which was your friend, which gives you joy, which gives you peace, and you start crying the world doesn’t have enough love and nobody cares about you all because you allowed Satan to steal your time.

You see, time is the only commodity that God has given everyone the same amount of every day.  But if we cannot manage it properly, we will lose it.  Ask yourself, what do I do each day with my time that I don’t have enough time for the things of God?  The most important time is time spent with Jesus.  Do you know that?  Are you using your time wisely?  

Sing: Time is filled with swift transition; naught of earth unmoved can stand.  Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand!

Hold to God’s unchanging hand! Hold to God’s unchanging hand! Build your hopes on things eternal, hold to God’s unchanging hand!

Thought For Today: Watch your time (Parker)