Time Waits for No One, Including You!

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."  - Isaiah 55:7 (ESV)

Although God is long-suffering when it comes to dealing with us and our sin, we mistakenly assume that his patience is limitless; He will wait for us to come around.

Perhaps this might partly explain why so many put off asking forgiveness, repentance of sin, and accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. After all, there's no need to rush anything.

Wrong! Yes, it is true that God is patient and that He will wait for us to come to Him. No one would argue that. But, He will strive with us only so far.

He will not waste his time with those who, for whatever reason, refuse to change their life path from sin and apostasy. Though God has all eternity to wait, we don't (Psalm 115:17).

God has given us potentially 120 years of life to get our acts together (Genesis 6:3). Realistically, it shouldn't take that long. Clearly, the problem lies with us.

The time frame he has provided us is more than generous. This alone demonstrates and confirms his patience with us. We can't say that he is unfair in his expectations or too pushy.

Our corrupt nature and strong attraction to things of the flesh are our biggest obstacles. After all, we enter this world with these tendencies and struggle with them every day.

Even so, God does not slam the door shut on us so quickly. There are really only two choices that we have. One is to follow him, the other is to refuse him.

Yes, following him is hard because it is work. There is no easy ride, here. Putting him off altogether for whatever reason is a lot easier.

God is patient, compassionate, and merciful. But, he won't allow us to waste his time, either. To blatantly defy or reject Him signals that it's time to move on (Hosea 4:17).

Many live as if they have all the time in the world; that the party will never end. This is one of the great deceptions of Satan. Don't fall for it!

Remember, though it may be true that God's timeline for us to make a decision may appear interminable, it's not. And like the milk in your refrigerator, it has an expiration date (Daniel 12:2).

Scripture: Romans 8:1; Psalm 34:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; John 3:18; 1 John 1:7

Prayer: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, amen.  - Psalm 103:2 (ESV)

Joyfully in Christ,

Donna