The Gift of Time 

   “The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard ‘delay’, but he is patient with you, not wishing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3: 9) 

  I thank God that He has given me time to come to Him.  There is no doubt in my mind that had He taken me earlier in life, I would be spending eternity without Him, suffering the pains of hell.  As it is, He has allowed me to continue in this life and I have become His.

   We see time as belonging to us, but it does not, it is a gift from God.  There is no certainty that we will see tomorrow or even the end of this day.  Because He loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him, God reaches out to us, urging us to come to Him, hoping we will respond.  But the hour and day of our passing is certain and then the judgement.

   There is a question we need ask ourselves each day.  “If today is the day God calls me, am I ready?”  We have no way of knowing when this life will be over for us so we must be prepared for that day.  In His infinite mercy, our God accepts and rejoices at a sinner’s repentance even at the last second of life.  However, there is no promise that we will have that opportunity, life can end very quickly and without warning.

   Every day we face decisions about how to use the time God has given us.  Every day we have the choice of using that time to come closer to Him or to drift further away.  But the amount of time we have is limited, and we do not know where that limit lies.  We must be ready when that day comes.