In his book HAVE A LITTLE FAITH, Mitch Albom relates an incident in which he was visiting his rabbi who was near death. The rabbi, an excellent teacher of the OT, was telling Mitch how important forgiveness was. He says, “that’s why our sages tell us to repent exactly one day before we die.” Mitch responded,
“But how do we know it’s the day before we die?” he asked. The rabbi raised his eyebrows…”.Precisely.”
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
thedailylily.com 
so repent everyday!
To quote the rabbi,…”Precisely” In 1Jn. he writes,’ if we say we have no sin, we lie and the truth is not in us.’ So every day, ASAP, if we miss, slip, or deliberately make a sin because of our hard heartedness, or narrow mindedness, or being loose-tongued, impatient, hot tempered or for muttering, complaining, griping, moaning, groaning, priding, etc. we need to repent, ask forgiveness and forgive others. Sin is ever crouching at the door but we do NOT have to answer it. We take the Kingdom key and unlock the door of our hearts when Jesus knocks on it.
The incident MG writes about also speaks to me of procrastination vs preparedness. As I remember my mother saying many times, ‘don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today.’
We can also learn from the ants.
“You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two.
Nobody has to tell it what to do.
All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing?
How long before you get out of bed?”
Concerning the proverb about the ant, industrious little creature that it is, it is primarily a creature with PURPOSE. It has a God-instilled goal and it is diligent to dedicate its life to fulfilling that goal. Some call it instinct but an Intelligent Being programmed that little ant and he (the ant) does his job with perseverance & skill, mapped out by an all-wise GOD. My point’s being that some of us busy ourselves with laborious tasks that keep us busy from morning till night, running here, there, doing this and that and ever adding one more thing, one more thing to our already “fun-filled” ( I say that facetiously) schedules. But are we living our lives with PURPOSE? Are the things we so dedicate ourselves to, going to be counted when we stand before the BEMA, our lovely Lord and Savior when He is going to cull our works and lay them out before us? Will they be works of gold, silver and precious gems or will they be wood, hay and stubble and burn to a crisp?
We are talking about several things in this blog, I realize, but when Debi brought up the ant it made me think about these things. For our new Church year, the Holy Spirit revealed to our pastors that this year HIS desire for us was to be a year lived out with Purpose. That we would know IF we were to do something and with what purpose in mind? We are to ask ourselves before we act, speak, write, move, …what is the purpose of this action on my part? Will it help build the Kingdom of GOD? Does it bring honor and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Does it edify the church and/or a body of believers or a sister or brother? Will it help draw souls? I know one might say, who has time to ask all those questions? Well, like Sara wrote in a quote on a recent blog about exercising the truth,…..it comes with practice. If we practice these things and become skilled and develop discernment we will more quickly be able to assess the worth and quality of an act or decision or choice to see if it has merit for God’s Kingdom and worthy to present to the Lord God.
Yes, none of us know when we shall leave this earthly body, but the Bible tells us, and my grandfather use to repeat this:(paraphrased) “it’s appointed for a man to die, and after this, the judgement.” I can’t seem to locate where this scripture is, but I believe it goes right along with what the rabbi was saying in the above quote. None of us know when, but we know it will happen, so we must be ready to meet our Maker.
Hebrews 9:27, Needles is this the verse your Grandfather was talking about?
Needles going along with what you said, “so we must be ready to meet our Maker”, Ephesians 5:16, 17 warns us:”Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
One way we can be foolish is to have a scattered mind, scattered mouth and scatter our time and resources. I picture someone with a feedsack full of valuable seed slung over their back. Out of the house they go to sow in the field God has given them. But as they go on their way to the field, distraction calls, voices beckon, opportunity bargains and somehow they never quite make it to the field. They take a shortcut throught the bramble patch, tear a whole in their seed sack and leave a trail of seed all over the countryside…everywhere but in their field.
Oh, oh, then comes judgement time Needles grandfather spoke about.
I think what Debi describes above is called “scatter-shot” seeding. Jesus tells a parable of the sower who went out to sow the “seed” (of the Word )of God. Some fell on stony ground, some fell on shallow soil where the birds of the air ate it up before it could ever produce, if it were ever destined to produce on bad soil. But some fell on good ground and produced a harvest. When we sow our seed we should be mindful of a purpose, an objective, a direct shot into the heart of the person(s) to for whom we “plant”. And financially, also, sowing into good spiritual soil. In Isaiah 28:24-25, it says, “Does the plowman plow all day to sow? Does he open and break the clods of his ground? When he has made plain the face dees he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in their place?” See, God knows how to plant seed and where to plant it. He is an excellent Observer of fertile soil and that which pertains to each kind of seed. We need to also observe WHERE & WHEN we sow our seed. In Ecclesiastes 11:4 it says, “He that observes the wind shall not sow; and he that regards the clouds shall not reap.” This also suggests to me that if we allow the circumstances around us or consider vain imaginations to make us delay our seeking and asking forgiveness, waiting for another time, procrastinating about it, it may never happen.; like the person who
looks at all the delaying tactics the enemy throws our way and allowing those theings to keep us from resolving the issues of unforgivness in our lives, until it may be too late.
Unforgiveness in our lives? MG, Do you mean accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior?
Sara, I believe this is the correct scripture, in Hebrews. I don’t recall my grandfather ever mentioning where it was in the Bible, but he sure quoted it. Listen to the footnotes for the scripture in Hebrews, you provided. Read with me: “Judgement is not a popular theme today, but the Bible teaches that judgment is coming. Do you look forward to Christ’s return, or do you see it as a threat? As sure as death itself, judgment awaits. At God’s judgment there will be no higher court of appeal should the verdict not be to our liking. If you hope for a favorable verdict in this court, put your hope entirely on Jesus. Pray today–now if you haven’t before– for the freedom and pardon Jesus has won for you. Then rejoice that God’s judgment of you will be based on the perfect life of his Son, Jesus. After that, tell others, for many will face an unfavorable judgment without Jesus.”
Heavenly Father, my prayer today is that Your Holy Spirit will prompt anyone, who doesn’t know you. I pray they will be obedient to the Holy Spirit’s call for their salvation. In Jesus name, Amen.
Needles, I agree in prayer with you and your prayer and place names “in the prompt anyone blank….” My list of names are here, O, yes Father, please draw them to yourself.
Yes, Sara, I believe that is another authentic view of unforgiveness. First of all, in a Christian’s life, if there is resentment, revenge, retaliation, unwillingness to forgive and move on that is a GRAVE matter (literally) because the Scriptures say if you refuse to forgive then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you. And citing the comment you made above…absolutely, there is forgiveness that one refuses to receive by faith and in truth and that is the FORGIVENESS that Is offered by Father God the FORGIVER of sins through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. If we reject that forgiveness then UNFORGIVENESS rules our lives and seals our doom
BTW, Sara, is there life after forgiveness? I know that those who receive the Lord Jesus as Savior & Lord are forgiven but I am talking about when there is an offense, small or grave and finally the Gift of forgiveness is put into operation in one’s life….then what? How do you handle a relationship, or rather, with what attitude does one proceed toward the one who instigated the offense? I am concerned with attitude of the heart which, of course, manifests in actions. I feel led to ask this question for wisdom.