#71 REDEEMING THE TIME 9-2-26
“See then that you walk carefully, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Time is one of the greatest gifts God has placed into our hands, yet it is a gift we cannot keep. Money can be saved. Possessions can be stored. Things can be replaced. But yesterday can never be recovered, and tomorrow is not promised. Every moment that passes becomes part of eternity. That is why Paul tells us to redeem the time. We are not merely to let time pass. We are to use the time God gives us for His glory.
Learn from the past. We should never live in the past, but we should learn from it. Yesterday contains lessons that can make us wiser today. Our failures can teach us humility. Our victories can remind us of God’s faithfulness. Our mistakes can become warnings. Even our painful experiences can become places where God teaches us something we could not have learned any other way. Paul said, “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning.” (Romans 15:4) Do not continually look behind you with regret. Look behind you long enough to learn, then turn your eyes forward and walk with God.
Look to the future. The Christian does not have to fear tomorrow because tomorrow belongs to God. We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but we know who holds tomorrow. There are things ahead of us that we cannot see, but there is a God who sees everything. The Bible tells us to set our minds on things above and to keep our eyes on the eternal things that cannot be seen. (Colossians 3:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:18) We can look toward the future with hope because our future is in the hands of Christ.
But there is something we must never forget.
Live in the present. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not arrived. The only moment God has placed directly into our hands is this moment. We can waste today wishing we could change yesterday, or we can waste today worrying about tomorrow. Neither will accomplish the will of God. Jesus said, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things.” (Matthew 6:34) There is grace for today, strength for today, work for today, opportunities for today, and people for us to love today.
Sometimes we miss what God is doing right in front of us because our minds are trapped somewhere else. We are looking backward at what we cannot change or looking forward at what we cannot control. Meanwhile, the present moment is passing away. A conversation with someone who needs encouragement is happening now. An opportunity to serve is happening now. A person who needs to hear about Jesus may be standing in front of us now. The time to pray, obey, forgive, love, serve, and proclaim Christ is now.
Redeeming the time does not mean trying to control every minute of our lives. It means surrendering our minutes to God. It means asking, “Lord, what would You have me do with this moment?” We cannot relive yesterday, and we cannot live tomorrow today. But we can give God today.
So learn from the past without living there. Look toward the future without fearing it. Live in the present without wasting it. Yesterday may teach you. Tomorrow may inspire you. But today is where God has placed you.
The clock is moving. The days are passing. Eternity is drawing nearer. Therefore, “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Do not wait for a better day to serve God. Do not wait for a better opportunity to love someone. Do not wait for tomorrow to become what God has called you to be today.
Redeem the time. Give God your past, trust Him with your future, and faithfully live for Him in the present.
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Father, thank You for the gift of time. Help us learn from yesterday without being imprisoned by it. Help us look toward tomorrow with faith instead of fear. Most of all, help us faithfully live in the present, using every opportunity You give us to love, serve, obey, and glorify You. Teach us to redeem the time because the days are passing quickly. May we never waste the moments You have placed in our hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
BDD
