Serve Jesus? … Do It Now

Serve Jesus? … Do It Now (John 9:4-5)

John 9:4-5, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

Jesus is the Light of the world. If man wishes to be delivered from darkness, he must come to Christ. Christ is the only One who gives sight to man and His world. Jesus said that He must work due to the soon coming darkness. He meant that His earthly ministry would end and He would return to His Father. In the meantime, He was effectively and efficiently doing the works appointed by God. We all have limited time here on earth. Jesus had come with a mission to fulfill. He had not come simply to walk among men teaching the Scriptures, healing the sick, and comforting the weary; He had come to bring light to a dark world, delivering men from the bondage of sin. Already His eyes were fixed on Calvary. He wanted the disciples to see the eternal work that was being done. Jesus came to offer Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of men. He had come to open the eyes of this blind man and all who were blinded by sin.

It was Joshua who said in Joshua 24:15, "And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose, land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua's mind was made up to serve the Lord no matter what anyone else was going to do. Paul encouraged the church at Ephesus to be busy for the Lord, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). The point is that we should make the most of every opportunity we have—even more because of the evil that infiltrates our culture. Do your best for God, and work while there is still time. There are a lot of Christians doing nothing, but there are no Christians who have nothing to do.

God used Adoniram Judson because of his commitment to serve the Lord and be available to Him. Adoniram Judson sweated out Burma's heat for 18 years without a furlough. He went six years without a convert. Enduring torture and imprisonment, he admitted that he never saw a ship sail without wanting to jump on board and go home. When his wife's health broke and he put her on a homebound vessel in the knowledge he would not see her for two full years, he confided to his diary: "If we could, I would find some quiet resting place on earth where we could spend the rest of our days in peace..." But then Judson steadied himself with this remarkable postscript: "Life is short. Millions of Burmese are perishing. I am almost the only person on earth who has attained their language to communicate salvation..." Judson was committed to serving the Lord. Perhaps, this is why we are still talking about him today over 170 years after his death. We are not only to serve the Lord, we are to be a spokesman for Him.

It’s been said, "The best ability is availability." The best thing we can do is make ourselves available to God for His service, whether it is in our family, our neighborhood, our church, or on foreign soil. We should take advantage of every opportunity we have to minister, serve, and witness for the Lord. We are to make our life a mission for God, not an intermission. The time to serve the Lord is while we can, to live for Him today. Tomorrow may not come for you. Make yourself available to the Lord each day. May we all have Isaiah's attitude, "Here am I Lord, send me." I wonder how many of us trust God enough that when we hear Him simply call our name we can say, “Here am I…whatever You need, You have it…whatever You want, I will do it.” Man's greatest heartbreak will be to discover it is too late to do something he or she should have done.

The word day reveals we have limited time to do God's will. The time for work is limited. Christ and His followers do not have forever to do the work. It has to be done now or the opportunity will be lost. Only so much time has been given. Whatever is to be done must be done today, while there is still some daylight left. Night is coming, the time when no man can work. Time will end and the opportunity will be gone forever. Each person’s greatest tragedy will be to discover it is too late to do something he or she should have done. Remember there are a lot of Christians doing nothing but there are no Christians who have nothing to do. Opportunities pass quickly, they are like a vapor for they are here and gone. Don't waste your life away!

Questions to Consider:

• If I honestly evaluate my life, what would I say that I am working for? What needs to change?
• Is my walk of faith making an impact on those around me?
• How are you taking advantage of the time and opportunities that the Lord is giving you?

Points to Ponder:

• God has placed each of us in unique situations for the jobs He has for us to do.
• Our neighbors should see a difference in us.
• Take the opportunities God has given you today.

Prayer: Father in Heaven, I don't know who or what will cross my path today, but help me to bring you glory today. Help me to be productive, patient, persistent, and perceptive. Help me to always work with diligence and may I make a lasting impact for Your kingdom.

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