Ephesians 5:16

"Making the very most of the time [buying up each opportunity] because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16

God want's our time, which He created for "us", to be used in the best possible way... for the purpose that it was created for. This is not about finding shortcuts to squeeze in a little more time for Him... God want's this just as much for us as He does for Himself, because He love us. Part of us is never going to stop existing... the spirit of every man and woman will live beyond this life. At the point of death, we will all slip out from under this "time" and move into eternity, where time no longer exists. Where we spend eternity and the quality of our time here has EVERYTHING to do with the time God has created for us! The Amplified adds that, "in making the most of our time, we're buying up each opportunity", because that is what it takes. It costs us something at every opportunity. We are selling away a piece of ourselves and our time - every time an opportunity comes our way. Paul is speaking to "us", where he says, "because the days are evil. Our time that we have to prepare for eternity is being "ROBBED, STOLEN, and CHEATED away from us... yes, even the Christian, at every opportunity.

Even though we have been blessed by our salvation, which has set out place in eternity with God, the enemy... the devil is angrily stripping away our remaining time. The plan is quite simple really... "To distract us from the power and glory of God while we are still under his ability". If satan can steal enough of our time... our attention and focus toward the things of God... listening to the Holy Spirit, hearing the truth, reading and thus hearing God's wisdom, he knows we will remain weak, powerless, un-useful, poor examples... the list goes on.

Paul is saying that it's time now for us to trade "up"... it's time for us to see everything that happens is another opportunity to stop... look at what it is, and measure it's value toward God and the things of God... decide if it's worth buying into or not. It's time to stop wasting our God given time!

I don't know who is reading this today and how old you may be, but I look at how old I am today, and I am amazed how quickly I arrived here at this age. Years ago, it "seemed" it would be forever before I'd get here and now, already I am here. Time has slipped past me like a slight of hand act... much of my time is just gone, now. Having said that, I am so thankful for what God has shown me now (before I ran out of time), so that I can do more with the time I have left. I have more time to pray for you now and for my children. I have more time each day to reach out with God's love... the greatest opportunity there is... and I thank God for it.

Let's pick up with Ephesians verse 5:17 next time.

I love you.