there are two life lessons that I've learned over the years and I'd like to share these with you to begin with let me tell you that time is precious how you spend your time matters what you spend your time doing matters who you spend your time with matters and the thing is I never realized just how much the Bible talks about the importance of time or the use of our time Psalm 90 verse two says teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom when you appreciate time and have the
understanding that each of our days are numbered that is when you develop wisdom in your heart if you read Romans chap 13 from verse 9 and 11 the Bible tells you not to leave any debt outstanding not to commit adultery not to steal not to covet but instead to love your neighbor as you love yourself and it sums all of this up in verse 11 as it says besides this you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believe
there should be an urgency about time in our lives as Believers we only have so much time to get our lives together the second lesson that life has taught me from personal experience and also from watching others is that not every storm not every crisis not every challenge or problem is bad for you what I mean is that some situations we encounter will be difficult they will be painful but in the long run that storm will be for your good that crisis will work out for your good that challenge will make you stronger someone will
get sick but recover in such a way that they can only acknowledge the hand of God the miracle working power of the blood of Jesus someone's plans will get disrupted only to find out that that disruption LED them to an even better destination someone's plans will get delayed but that's perhaps God's way of saying not yet I have something better in store I have a better time in mind every crisis in life is not bad for you sometimes God uses adversity God places you in tough situations only for you to grow for you to develop
stronger faith for you to mature so the next time a problem presents itself the next time you face a crisis stop for a moment and just ask God what do you want me to learn from this what do you want to develop within me and so now let let's pray Lord be praised and honored thank you for being a wonderful and merciful god Lord Jesus I pray that you would teach us how to number our days teach us to be wise with our time here on Earth lead me to be wise about how I spend
my time lead us to be wise with what we spend our time with on this Earth help us to realize what truly matters what matters is my relationship with you Jesus what matters is building and storing up Treasures in Heaven what matters is to testify about goodness and to tell as many living Souls as I can about the Gospel of Jesus Christ help me not to chase after the riches and pleasures of this world because what will it profit us to gain the whole world but lose our souls it's of no benefit to make gains
in this world at the expense of our souls Romans 13:14 says but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires help us to clothe ourselves with Robes of righteousness and prayer help us to clothe ourselves in the full armor of God Lord give us the strength to make no provision for the flesh help us King Jesus to remain steadfast and never to even think about gratifying the Flesh and its improper desires instead give us a desire that is drawn to your presence a desire that is drawn
to spending time in your presence father I praise you for all that you have brought me through I praise you for the lessons that you have taught me through each and every storm thank you for bringing me through life's adversity and challenges through every storm may you develop my character through every crisis I pray that you will strengthen my faith through every challenge or problem may I become a more mature believer Philippians 3:12 to 14 says not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect but I press on to make it my own
because Christ Jesus has made me his own Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus Lord as we press on as we strain forward and run this race of Faith give us Grace father the grace to endure those uncomfortable lessons the grace to hold on and never lose sight of your promises give us the grace to understand that sometimes
the answer to our prayers may be delayed but that does not mean they are denied give us the grace to understand that sometimes you might say no to our request because you have something better and bigger in store for us should we experience any disruption in our lives may we understand that at times this disruption may be divine disruption you may intervene in our plans in order to guide us to a certain destination or in a particular direction but regardless of how uncomfortable the process may be we will continue to trust in you to believe
in you and to have faith in you your word in James 1 verse 2-4 says count it all joy my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness and let steadfastness have its full effect that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing father work in me help me to remember that when my faith is tested you are working to produce a good work within me I bless your name amen teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom
besides this you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believe but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its [Music] desires not that I have already obtain this or am already perfect but I press on to make make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own Brothers I do not consider that I have made it my own but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining
forward to what lies ahead I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus [Music]
