Bits and Pieces – 157th Edition – March 12, 2023

     Today we enter into Daylight Saving Time for another year, and once more we are forced to think of the mystery of time.  We live in a time-conscious society.  We all have multiple timepieces and our lives are governed by time. It is one of the most mysterious of all subjects.

     What is time?  Could you define it?  Physicist Richard Feyman said, “We physicists work with it every day, but don’t ask me what it is.  It is just too difficult to think about.”  Time is one of nature’s building blocks and is part of eternity – which is another subject beyond man’s capability to grasp or fully understand.

     Although sometimes we would like to reverse time it cannot be turned back.  Yes, we can record previous events on audio and video recorders but we are not reversing time.  Time only goes one way – forward.

     That brings us to another serious problem, the past does not exist, except in memory.  We, with our forward-looking eyes, cannot see the past being swallowed up behind us. Therefore, we cannot change any action or deed we do, whether it be good or bad.  Oh, if we could only get back to correct that wicked behavior or dumb action that we did.  But we cannot, it is impossible.

     That is why, in order to have our sins blotted out, we need the eternal God to do that. God has an infallible memory.  He sees all; He can recall all of our iniquities.  We must have forgiveness of our sins because we cannot get back to repair the damage ourselves.

     Thank God, He is able to blot out our sins through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. (See Isaiah 1:18, 43:25 and 1 John 1:7).

     There is an old church, with a large clock tower, in Ballygowan, Northern Ireland. Below the clock are some warning words. For about hundred years it has shown it’s solemn message for all passers-by to see, “The Time is Short”  [1 Corinthians 7:29].

     Time is short for the Christian Worker, there is so much to be done for the Lord. He has called us to labour for the Master from the dawn to setting sun.  It is short for the Christian Seeker looking and longing for the coming of the Lord.  It is also short for the Christian Sufferer. We have imperfect bodies.  Just when one ailment has been healed, another one breaks out.

     Something more.  “The Time is Short” for the unbeliever. This earth is like a time bomb waiting to explode.  The crust is cracked, it is full of fire, it is highly volatile. Do not think you have endless time to get right with God.  You don’t! [See  2 Peter 3:7].

     The Lord Jesus Christ is returning again. The believer rejoices at that prospect, the unbeliever trembles. [See Revelation 6:14 – 17].

     Your life is coming to an end, as it will for all people.  There is no escape, every person will die without exception.  Are you ready to meet the Lord?  “Time is Short”

     Make your decision for Christ now.  “It is time to seek the Lord”  [Hosea 10:12].

     The Children of Israel spent forty difficult years in the wilderness.  I find there are some lessons to learn from their experience.

     The Preciousness of the Wilderness. [Deuteronomy 8:5,6].   God dealt with the “Children” of Israel as a Father would treat, train and chastise his child.  After their years in slavery they had to learn discipline from God in the wilderness to prepare them to enter Canaan.  Christ also was chastised because of our sin.  [Isaiah 53:5].

     The Provision through the Wilderness.  [Deuteronomy 8:3,4].  During their wilderness years God provided food every year, and their clothing did not wax old.  Think of the daily manna as your need for the Word of God each day; their raiment as parallel and their shoes as our call to walk with Christ on our pilgrimage to the righteousness of Christ.

     The Promise of the Wilderness.[Deut. 8:7-10].  The wilderness is not forever.  God promised to take them to Canaan.  The promise is a parallel for the Christian’s assurance of heaven ahead and the fulness of Christ to enjoy now.  The difficulties of the wilderness made the joy of Canaan all the more remarkable.

     The wilderness may be a forbidding place, but it was necessary for Israel.  God used Israel’s wilderness experience to lead them to the land of blessing.  Let us not become frustrated, fearful, or faithless. [Dr. Alan Cairns]

“My Lord knows the way through the wilderness; all I have to do is follow.”

“Live in Christ and the flesh need not fear death”  [John Knox]