Make It Count!
by Patricia Lake
Life is a gift, and time is precious and fleeting.
`All my possessions for a moment of time` was said by Queen Elizabeth I, the Queen of England during the late 17th century. She is said to have uttered this phrase on her death bed. It meant that she wished she could exchange all her worldly possessions to get an extra moment of time. Elizabeth I died in England in 1603. She realised, all too late, that all her wealth could not buy her another moment of time.
Daniel, a captive in Babylon, could have bemoaned his lot. But instead, he chose to make the most of his time. We read that he `purposed in his heart` not to defile himself with the king`s meat, for he had devoted himself to the Lord. This stood him in good stead for the time of testing that was to come. God delivered him in the midst of his trial, and not only did he stand out in his generation as a man of holiness, but God saw fit to ensure that his name and deeds were entered in holy writ.
Similarly, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego, although also in captivity, declared their loyalty to God in their time of great trial `Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up` (Daniel 3:17-18). They all made their lives count in the eyes of the Lord and influenced a pagan king and his nation in their generation.
The apostle Paul said `I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith` (2 Timothy 4:3-8).
We only get to spend time once, and, for some reason, our allotted time on earth is important in God’s eyes. So He has given us the written Word, the Bible to guide us, and the Living Word who became flesh, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to redeem us from the hand of the enemy.
It is also comforting to know that the only person who can fully redeem time, is the Lord and He has promised `I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten` (Joel 2:25).
So be encouraged, in whatever stage of the journey you are at…it isn’t too late. Today is a fresh start, for, by His cross, Christ has imparted a sense of destiny on each of our lives, and once committed to and sanctified by Him, He can redeem the time and restore what the enemy has stolen. With God`s help we can make it count!
Prayer: Dear Lord, We commit our lives to you afresh and ask you to transform us by your holy touch. Help us to spend our time wisely and to live our lives in a way that is pleasing to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Patricia Lake is now Ellel’s Representative in Curacao, in the Dutch West Indies, where she is now living, having served with Ellel Ministries as Peter Horrobin’s Secretary for almost 20 years. Prior to that she was in ministry in her local Pentecostal church in Birmingham, before feeling the call of God to serve in the healing and deliverance ministry at Ellel Grange in the northwest of England.
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