Dear Church Family,
A long time ago, when I was in college, I went to a concert that featured the Steve Miller Band. I still remember one of their song lyrics: “Time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, slippin’, into the future.”
Time is an interesting idea. Some of us receive time off from work for vacation, and we plan to take time for important things. But, as it often turns out, we don’t have enough time to do it all because, all too soon, we run out of time.
This leads me to reflect on our time with God. Considering the limited supply of time that is given to us and all that we desire to accomplish in that time, it seems all too easy to forget to give God some of our time. We work hard to get everything done, to tie up all the loose ends, and by the end of the day we realize that we have had no time for God.
One of the guiding principles in the Bible is that whatever we give to God, we need to give as a ‘first-fruit.’ The meaning of this term is taken from the harvest where the farmer gives the first portion of the harvest to God as a way of expressing his thanksgiving for God’s blessing. The farmer doesn’t wait until the harvest is completed and, having allocated the harvest according to the demands of his life, determines if there is anything left over for God.
Perhaps we need to consider giving God the ‘first-fruit’ of our time. Making ‘Time with God’ the first entry in our daily to-do list, Day-Timer or electronic calendar will ensure that God receives a good portion of our time. This can be time spent reading and thinking about his communication to us in the Bible, and time spent praying to him.
Having a morning appointment with God can help bring to life that joyful refrain from the Psalms: “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!” The simple necessities of life, everything that we need, are given anew each day by God. That is worthy of spending time thanking God.
I invite you to consider making the commitment to daily time with God. Read our church’s Bible Reading Plan passage for the day (you can find the daily passages in the church pew, the Sunday bulletin, and on our website: congopres.org), reflect on what you have read, and take time to pray, thanking God for all he does for you.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Steve