What Is Today?

2 Corinthians 6:2 -- 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."

Time is short. We don’t know what the future holds. These, and other pearls of wisdom, have been passed down to us from preceding generations, and no doubt we will also pass them down to our children and grandchildren. We do this, not because it’s just something people do as they get older, but because we are truly concerned with the future of those we care about, and those old sayings are 100% true.

Pastors often quote this verse, urging people to come to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. It’s a true and effective verse for such a time and situation. If you are aware of a need for Jesus in your heart, that moment is the time to act, for the Holy Spirit is dealing with you, and it is the perfect time to set things right in your soul.

But, this verse has a deeper meaning. It certainly refers to the salvation of a soul, the forgiveness of sins and the new-birth experience. It also has a meaning which concerns the daily walk of the Christian. This seldom-explored meaning should be a the forefront of our Christian experience, and will help us become who God wants us to be.

Through our Bible study or prayer time, through the lessons and sermons given by our teachers and pastors, God speaks to us, showing us those areas in which we don’t quite measure up. We are shown by the Spirit the reality of our motives and attitudes, and sometimes it is not a pretty picture. Perhaps we have known the Lord for many years, or maybe just a short time. It doesn’t really matter which; all of us have plenty of things in our life that shouldn’t be there, and we all have plenty of room to grow and mature.

The thing is this: we don’t know how much time we have left to make those necessary changes. Time is short, and we don’t know what the future holds. This week, a tragedy occurred which clearly illustrated this point. A young girl, just eighteen years old, whose relationship to me could be most closely described as a step-niece, was shot and killed in a random shooting in our quiet little town. She was not the target, drugs and alcohol were not involved. It just happened that she was near a window when the shooting outside started. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She had gathered with friends Tuesday evening. There were pizza and video games and laughter. With her entire life ahead of her, she was having fun with friends, doing nothing dangerous, not taking a risk at all. Then, suddenly, one stray bullet struck her in the head, and her life came to an end, in a way, before it even began.

None of us, young or old, knows what the next moment holds. We might be very careful, never taking any risks; we might be healthy and strong, intelligent, thinking we have everything together (or, at least, that we have plenty of time to get everything together). One day, we might be sitting in the comfort of our own living room, watching television or talking with our family, and the next instant, we will be standing in the presence of the Lord.

We are not guaranteed one more moment of life on this earth. This is why it is so vitally important that when we feel the moving of the Spirit of God within our hearts, we follow His leading and, if necessary, make the changes He shows us we need to make. If it is coming to know Him for the first time, or if it is learning and growing into the Christian He wants us to be, we need to take advantage of every opportunity.

Now, right this minute, is the accepted time. The reason it is the accepted time is because it’s all we have. We don’t know about tomorrow, if we will even be here to see it. So, if you know you need do more for the Lord, then do it now. If you know you need to adjust your attitude or ask forgiveness to someone you’ve wronged, do it now while you can. The Lord wants so much good for us here, but we have to be willing to trust in and follow Him.

When will your time on earth be over? No one knows. We must live each moment as if it is our last, and that before our heart beats one more time, we will stand at the throne of God. What will we be taking to lay at His feet? Will we be able to say we’ve done what we’ve supposed to do, that we’ve done all we knew to do? I urge you, no matter what you’re facing, no matter what you’re going through, address it right now, before it’s too late. Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We don’t know what the future holds. Time is short.

Do something about it now, and trust Jesus in and for all things.


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