"Not Today!"

Steven J. Wallace

"We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:1, 2).

"I'm young and free!" "Don't' tell me what to do." "I have my whole life ahead of me." "When I am old, then I will consider Jesus and the Bible."

Many live under the pretense of tomorrow and so spurn the duty of today. After all, the worldly mind can ask, "why do today what you can put off for tomorrow?"

I once worked with a young mother of about 25 who made a similar claim to excuse herself from coming to study God's word. Sadly, she didn't live much longer after she spurned the invitation. Tragically, her life came to an abrupt end when she got into a wreck with a gravel truck on an Indiana road. She could have been prepared for eternity, but she lived by "not today." She could have become a link to teach her precious children. "Not today" canceled that hope. She could have introduced her husband to the Lord, but "not today" guided her into the false security of youth.  "Not today" is living in the empty promise of always having "tomorrow."

Living a long life on earth is not a right or guarantee for anyone. A long life span is not a license to reject the Lord in youth. Solomon penned in Ecclesiastes 12:1, "Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, 'I have no pleasure in them.'" The days only get more difficult, not easier. It will never get easier to learn and obey the Lord.

Countless numbers repeat the error of Felix and wait for a "convenient time" to call on the Lord (Acts 24:25). A convenient time never presented itself to this ruler, and it will likely not present itself to you. "One of these days" is a false trust that there will be a day that will be appealing and available to obey the Lord.

Bible writers placed definite time constrictions upon their listeners and warned them to not trust in "tomorrow." The Bible's answer to the procrastinator who trusts in tomorrow is: "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Cor. 6:2). All we have is today, the here and now, to act.

James penned, "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away" (Jas. 4:14).

The wise man penned in Proverbs 27:1, "Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth."

Isaiah urged sinners, "Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near…" (Isa. 55:6). There is a time when the Lord can be found. See Him today!

Jesus demonstrated the foolishness of disrespecting time when He spoke of the rich man in Luke 12:19-21:

"And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, [and] be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?' So [is] he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."

Notice the deadly error above. He thought he had many years and could take his ease. He did not know that tonight his soul would be required of him. Friend, we must live each day as if it were our last. That simply means we must live each day laying up our treasure in heaven—being rich toward God.

In conclusion, may the voice of Joshua ring in our ears each day:

"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that [were] on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Josh. 24:14, 15).

When is the acceptable time to begin serving the Lord?

Sentence Sermons

"Today is the harvest of yesterday's sowings.  Tomorrow will be a harvest of today."

"Do not regret growing old; it is a privilege many do not have."

 


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Scripture Quotations

Unless noted, all verses are taken from the New King James Version. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Hosea 2:15

I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.