There's No Crying!!

Or is there?  Well, we all know that there's plenty to cry about in this tough world.  One needn't be out of his bed for long before he hears the first bad news of the day..  As I have shared with you before, we live in a troubled time.  The Bible tells us that "man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward."

But I wanted to share with you a bit this morning about a good cry - yes, tears..  I was actually thinking about the subject this morning when God placed a certain verse of scripture that I had guarded to my heart years ago.  The verse is "weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning." Psalm 30:5(b) 

Have you ever been so upset about something that you have labored and lamented in tears all through the night?  I've been upset before, but I've never done that.  In fact, as I approach the sixteen year anniversary of my mother's death on Feb. 19th, I am reminded of how I learned of her death.  My brother phoned in the middle of the night and I softly and quietly went back to sleep.  The news had come as a relief to me, I suppose. 

Yes, the Bible has a good bit to say about tears.  The word "tears" itself is mentioned 36 times in the Bible, while words like "weeping" are mentioned so many, many more times.  Perhaps one of the most well known - and certainly the shortest - verse having to do with the subject matter is "Jesus wept."

One could say that the Apostle Paul was a real crier; from his writings, he appeared to have moments of deep emotion and expressed his feelings of love toward the recipients of his letters with overwhelming sentiments.  The expressions of love that he made to various churches through various letters are simply - - - - well - I don't know what.  They are too love filled to describe.  Paul's words in Acts 20:19 read thusly: 

• "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:  And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publickly, and have from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also toward to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

Paul, in his letter to the Romans, in the twelfth chapter, also calls us to "weep with them that weep." 

There's simply no doubt about it:  tears and crying are an indelible part of this life we live.  As children, we cry when we fall down or when we don't get the toy we want at Wal-Mart, or when we fear something.  As adolescents, we cry when we are bullied or when we encounter pain in relationships or our parents go through divorce or we experience the death of a grandparent or another loved one - and many, many other times throughout our lives.  Some of us cry often - some of us cry less. 

The Bible contains a wonderful story in Luke's gospel chapter 8 vv 37-50

³⁷And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

 ³⁸And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

 ³⁹Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.

 ⁴⁰And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.

 ⁴¹There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

 ⁴²And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

 ⁴³Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.

 ⁴⁴And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

 ⁴⁵Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

 ⁴⁶My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.

 ⁴⁷Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

 ⁴⁸And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.

 ⁴⁹And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

 ⁵⁰And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

But Jesus knew what no one else in that room knew.  The Bible says, in the book of I Samuel, that while man looks at outward appearances, God looks upon the heart.  Jesus looked upon her heart that day and saw that she believed upon him and saw that she had repented that day.  Result:  "And he said to the woman, 'Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace'."  What a lovely picture of sincere repentance by a sinner and forgiveness given by our heavenly father. 

 

One of the great and precious promises that the Lord Jesus gives us is that - when we pass through the veil of earthly death - and step on the shore of Heaven - He will meet us personally and "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."



The former things are passed away.  What a thought.  The former things are passed away.  God has a new way of doing business in the world to come.


God bless you today. 

Life's Rhythms

God has laid in on my heart to ponder and share a bit about the issue of transition - change - transition.. I have spent my professional life counseling with young people.  And I have experienced many of the same things they have approached me about, too.  Recently, a couple of younger folks contacted me with expressions of concern about the worry they had about these things - many of which amount to rites of passage for us:  passing from preschool to kindergarten, from primary school to middle school, from middle school to high school, from high school to college, from college to graduate school or to a job, perhaps marriage along the way and a child or two - and many points that call for us to make important decisions along the way.

In some way, I guess this entry is directed toward my students - my young people - my counselees - my former advisees - my former recruits.  If you're reading this and are do not fall into one of those categories, though, I feel you will still benefit, because we all deal with these things.

And there is an ebb and flow and a rhythm to life - and to our emotions.  There are good times and there are bad.  There are times when we are healthy - and there are times when we face sickness.  There are times when we are emotional highs - and there are times when we feel extraordinarily depressed.  There are times for young people when we have experienced no death whatsoever; we've never even been to a funeral - and then there may be times when we have to bury closed loved ones within the same year. 



I want to share some things that I share with many that I have learned on these subjects as time has progressed.  Many are from my own experience - and many are tidbits I've learned from men and women much wiser then myself..


1.  These things are absolutely "normal" and you're not not the only one going through them.  As you look around you, you may think that everyone around you seems to be having a grand time and you may be wondering "why is it that I'm the only one suffering"?  You're not the only one.  God's Word tells us that "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."  
2.  There is no reason to suffer alone.  Depression can be a terrible, life-altering, debilitating, thing.  Here is how it is defined:  "a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason".  Often, counseling can help.  And sometimes medication is needed for people who are in a more severe condition.  The important thing to understand is that no one suffering from depression is abnormal, "weird", or should any way feel embarrassed.  In times like these, I often wonder how any sane person could get by in life without being depressed from time to time.  I am not a physician; the point is, if you need to be seen by one, don't wait too long without reaching out to let someone know that you need to see one. 
3.  If you've not experienced trouble yet, get ready.  That may sound cynical, or depressing or to some, pragmatic.  But the bottom line is that it's just biblical and absolutely true.  Job 5:7 tells us that
"man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward."  It's just the nature of life.  Sickness, depression, rebellion, war, job-loss, economic distress, betrayal, disloyalty, problems in relationships and death are all a part of life and we shall all experience them at some point in our lives.
4.  The best way to be prepared for life's speedbumps is to be grounded in God's Word.  I've said many times that people rarely find God on life's mountain tops, when things are going "hunky dorey".  They're just not looking for him, because they think they don't need him.  They've made their money, they've achieved success, their affairs are in order, their house is paid for, etc. etc.  But when their children get sick, when they lose their jobs, when those jets flew into those buildings on Sept. 11th, surveys showed that many, many churches and chapels were filled with Americans who fell to their knees in prayer to the God of heeling and restoration.  And God wants that.  He welcomes that and wants us to reach up to him in bad times.  But it would be good if our communication channels were open at all times - so that in good times and bad, God is our God.  Romans 8:31(b) tells us "If God is for us, who can be against us?"


But what about you?  You can't really do anything in a praying way unless you've done the most important thing in your life - bar none - which is to embark on a relationship - NOT a religion or a church membership - but a relationship - with the living, risen Christ.  If you have not done that, click here to learn more from a trusted source:  http://new.theencouragingword.org/discover-jesus

With all my love and concern for you,

Rudy Alan Cope

A Word on Purpose - and Posts

Just as a word of clarification on my purpose, I created this blog as a way to share a bit of myself with my friends and family - but mostly to share about my passion for the Lord Jesus Christ with anyone - and I mean anyone who will glimpse at these pages.  In recent days, one person in particular has tried to make this blog a place for political commentary or debate.  This is not the place. 

Secondly, I would ask as a courtesy that - if you have a comment to make about a post - and I welcome that whether it's good, bad or indifferent - of course I would expect it to be "civil" and absent of profanity or other disrespectful overtones - that you attach your name.  It simply is not the stuff of a real man to submit a writing and then run away from it as a scared dog.  That is not what being a man is about.

I hope you will honor these requests - which I think are reasonable. 

A Timely Word on Giving - 2011

It seems like a good time to think about the idea of giving.  I want to share a word from my friend and brother in Christ, Dr. Don Wilton, pastor of First Baptist Church Spartanburg.  He shared in a writing yesterday morning:

“Do not do your charitable deeds…to be seen.” Mt 6:1 NKJV  God measures your giving in two ways: (a) Your means—how much do you have? (b) Your motives—why are you giving? 

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven…Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (vv. 1-4 NKJV). 

Here are two stories that illustrate the point Jesus was making.

Story one: In 1977 a couple agreed to donate the three million dollars needed to build a new children’s zoo in Central Park, New York City. But problems arose because the two-inch-tall plaque acknowledging their gift wasn’t big enough. Plus, a couple who’d donated half a million dollars thirty years earlier to build the original zoo, had a bigger plaque. It was proposed that the names of the original donors be replaced by the names of the new ones. When the park commission refused, the couple withdrew their gift. 

Story two: It’s said that Charles Spurgeon and his wife would sell, but refused to give away the eggs their chickens laid. Even close relatives were told, “You may have them if you pay for them.” As a result the Spurgeons were misrepresented as being greedy. Only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was the full story revealed. All the profits from the sale of the eggs went to support two elderly widows. 

Apparently the Spurgeons were more concerned with how God felt about their giving, than how people felt. How about you?"

I think Dr. Wilton's words are spot on.  In my time at Bellevue Baptist Church, Dr. Steve Gaines preached several sermons on this topic.  And I took several things away from those teachings that I'd like to share with you in this post.  The summary of those points is really quite simple and cut to the heart of the matter.

 
 Are you tithing?  The Old and New Testament support the idea of the tithe.  That is 10% on the gross - the gross - that is - of your family income.  
This "tithe" is to the LOCAL CHURCH - NOT to the local YMCA, the United Way, the local organization that supports Pro Life or the Boy Scouts of America or the local Christian College or Love Worth Finding with Dr. Adrian Rogers or "Focus on the Family" or some other worthy ministry that is indeed worthy of your support.  And if they are an organization focused on Biblical truth, they will tell you not to give to their organization until you have given your tithe to your local church.  

Many of you are thinking, "my gosh, there's no way I can afford to do that!" - well, I'll only tell you what I've heard Dr. Gaines say a hundred times - "Respectfully, you can't afford NOT do do it... Will a man ROB the living God!?" 


Are you giving above the tithe?  This is called "sacrificial giving".  Are you giving out of obedience to ministries and individuals God calls you by his Holy Spirit to give to?  In short, are you giving 'til it hurts?  There is nothing inherantly "wrong" with saving money for rainy days and retirement, but you must realize that "hoarding" money or being greedy with what God has given you is indeed sinful.  All of it is on loan from Him.  "Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  II Corinthians 9:7  We should never, ever give compulsively, without thinking it out or give with a bad feeling or in duress.. "God, I wish you weren't making me do this."  We should, instead, think carefully and pray and listen for the Holy Spirit.  According to Malachi 3:7-12,man cannot "outgive"God.                                                                                                                                                  
⁷Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?  ⁸Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.
 ⁹Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation.
 ¹⁰Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
 ¹¹And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts.
 ¹²And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts.

This is the one time in the Bible where God seems to say, "Go ahead, I dare you, try me!!"  And that is most definitely what he is saying!!  He is saying, you have my promise, OBEY my command and I will fulfill what I have told you.  We have three reasons to tithe.  First of all, we need to obey as his children as an indication of our love for him.  Secondly, he promises there will be - to use the parlance of our time "R.O.I. - "Return On Investment".  Finally, we know that our local church needs these funds for basic operating costs, but that people are going to be saved, lives are going to changed forever, saints are being edified, these moneys are being used for KINGDOM PURPOSES!!!  That's big - and it's everlasting.  It will not burn up.  If I spend $.99 on an iTunes songs or $24.99 on a new base ball cap, where will either one be in just five years?  If I send $25 to Gideons International it will buy 33 copies of the New Testament to send around the World.  It's just a thought.


Where is your heart in giving?  When God lays it on your heart to help someone - and I hope he does that often - how do you do it?  Do you make a public spectacle of it?  Do you tell everyone about it?  OR - do you casually slip the cash into an envelope and give it to a trusted acquaintance and ask him or her to give it to the person and insist that they NOT divulge who it came from??  That way - NO DOUBT about it - GOD gets all the credit - NOT YOU..

In conclusion, these are all difficult questions for me, too.  And they are extraordinarily challenging financial times.  More difficult for me than ever, now that I find myself unemployed and looking for work - and having to rely on people and their kindnesses and - more than ever - pleading with people for their prayer.  I tell you this my friends - with all my heart - we need from God what we cannot do for ourselves.  And this, too, the prayer of God's people ALWAYS helps.  I'm hear for you and love you with all of my heart.  Thanks for taking the time to read.   With the New Year upon us, I pray that you might bow the knee in prayer and think some on the subject of giving.  More than ever, though, I pray that you might think some on what you have done with Jesus.  If you haven't bowed your knee in the larger sense, confessed your sin before him and reached out to him to fill the greatest need in your life, I pray that you will begin that journey.  Click here for more information from a trusted source:  
http://theencouragingword.org/know-him-act-now

Why Does Evil Come Our Way - and What Do We Do About It?

Friends, There's no pretense in the question.  Why does evil come our way?  And what does God's Word have to say about it??  These are questions I have pondered especially closely in recent days as my job was downsized, outsized or in any other way you might like to word it - I lost it without cause.  

Let us consider this passage of scripture from Matthew Chapter 5:

^"44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

 ⁴⁵That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

 ⁴⁶For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

 ⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

 ⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

"For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust."

Is that tough to swallow or what?  Translated:  bad things do indeed happen to God's children - and God's "arrangement" allows for that.  But the question remains - WHY?  Well, we don't understand all the reasons for that.  But let me give you my best crack at it according to God's Word and according to my prayer and the ministry of God's Holy Spirit to my heart. 

#1:  When Adam sinned in the Garden of Eden, he opened up "Pandora's Box" as it relates to God's plan.  God never planned for there to be sin, pain, disease, earthquake, famine or death in the world.  But when Adam fell, there was a domino effect that has followed through Abraham and Isaac - and on to us to this very generation.  In short, part of the reason that bad things happen to good people is because we (as men) invited sin and bad things into the world even after God pled with Adam and Even NOT to..

#2:  One of God's principle and chief tools in conforming us to the image of his son Jesus is adversity:

From I Peter 4
¹²Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
 ¹³But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
 ¹⁴If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
 ¹⁵But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.
 ¹⁶Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf."

According to this passage from God's Word - despite the difficulty there may be at the time of the trial - we should feel honored when we go through "fiery trials" as Christians, confident that God is using these trials in his divine sovereignty to conform us to the image of His dear Son.

3.  Going through these trials and experiencing the joy of the Holy Spirit through it all can lead to some of the most joyous, happy times of our lives because of the closeness we find in the valley of darkness when we draw close to God.  His spirit confirms in us that we are his children because of his chastening.

Read this from Hebrews 12:

²fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 ³For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

A Father's Discipline

 ⁴You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin;
 ⁵and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,
         "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD,
         NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM;
    ⁶FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES,
         AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."
 ⁷It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
 ⁸But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
 ⁹Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

"Do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him; for those whom the Lord loves he disciplines, and he scourges every son whom he receives."

And you might say "I haven't sinned in God's eyes!" - or - "I don't deserve this!!" - I say to you - neither had Job.  Yet that did not stop God from allowing Satan to execute acts of torment upon God's servant.  God knew Job's limits and he never left Job's side through his torments and anxiety.  And through it all, Job remained constant and faithful to his God. 

Through our hardship, let us do likewise.  Let me do likewise through mine.  And may God give me special help during this time to bless them that curse me, do good to them that hate me, and pray for them which despitefully use me, and persecute me...  God bless You today.

Love,
Rudy

The Prodigal Son

¹¹Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
 ¹³"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
 ¹⁷"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father.
      "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
 ²¹"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[a]'
 ²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
 ²⁵"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
 ²⁸"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
 ³¹" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Let us take three important notes from this story:

1.  It took him NO time to squander his inheritance.  He "set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living."  Even the brevity of the sentence in the early part of the parable suggests the amount of time that it took the son to lose this money.  The "friends" he made in the world were doubtless happy to be part of his celebration - until the money was gone.  Can't you just picture him buying shots for everybody at the bar and tucking dollar bills into the waitress's skirts and buying lavish meals and clothing?  You might find it surprising, but even God himself concedes that there is pleasure in sin for the carnal man - but only for a season (Hebrews 11:25).

2.   Repentance is the Key.  The Bible tells us that the son reasoned "I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' ²⁰So he got up and went to his father."  This is a picture of true repentance.  This young man, after he came to his senses (reads v. 17) made a decision with the help of the Holy Spirit.  He decided to repent.  Sure, it required him to swallow his pride and ego and admit that he had royally messed up, but look at the mess he had created for himself and the life that his riotous living had caused.  I like that phrase, "after he came to his senses" in the NIV - repentance is a sensible thing!!  We are sinners, it's obvious, and the sensible thing is to realize that we are a mess and that are lives are filthy as swine and that we need Christ's unmerited favor on our lives.  He came to his senses, praise God!

3.  Unmerited favor was his for the asking.  "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."  Can you just imagine that picture?!  I've found one online and provided it for you below.. I love it.  It's a sad picture, because it shows this young man in a humbled, kneeling, sad, rather contrite position, but if it were animated, I have a feeling that the next few scenes would be ones of exhilarated joy and happiness - the whole community would be there joining in the scene.  Near pandemonium erupted because the boy who had gone - perhaps presumed dead - had returned home and forgiveness, favor and unequivocal love were his. 

As many times as I have read this story, it just never gets old.  I guess that's the case because I realize that the Prodigal Son is really me.  I hope it's you, too.  Because if it's not, it means that you haven't gotten out of the pig field yet - you haven't had an encounter with the Lord Jesus.  I pray you have tonight - and I pray otherwise that you have a blessed night of peaceful rest in the hands of the Lord Jesus.

Do the Numbers

Do the Numbers

“Seventy…or…eighty years…pass quickly.”     Ps 90:10 NCV

Our souls aren’t hungry for fame, comfort, wealth, or power. Those things create as many problems as they solve. Our souls are hungry for meaning. We want our lives to matter. The Psalmist writes: “Our lifetime is seventy years or, if we are strong, eighty.” Eighty years is just under 30,000 days. Think about that in financial terms: $30,000 will buy you a car or the down payment on a house. It’s not that much money—and it’s not that much time. None of us knows how many years we’ve left, but we know how many we’ve been given till now. If you were to draw a line and add them up, eternally speaking, what would you have to show for your life?



Job said, “My days fly faster than a weaver’s shuttle” (Job 7:6 NLT); “What’s left…races off too fast” (Job 9:25 TM). Bryan Wilkerson says: “Teens count the number of friends they have, the number of colleges they get into. College students count grade points…credit hours…how many beers they can drink…Adults measure success by the number of bedrooms in their house, cars in the garage…or the yield on their investments. Most make two mistakes…they think they’ve so much [time] they can afford to waste it, or so little time they can’t possibly do something significant so they don’t try. Our days are like suitcases—all the same size—but some can pack more into them than others.



‘Fools idle away their time’ (See Pr 12:11 NLT). Numbering your days means offering them to God and seeking His direction for your life.”


(authored by Dr. Don Wilton, First Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC)