Precious...

 This month's devotional comes from Mr. Richard LeBlanc from Maranatha Baptist Church in Lyons, N.Y.

   “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

                                                                             1 Peter 1:7

    Peter, a close follower of writes in this verse about how precious you faith in Christ should be as a believer. All the things of this earth will eventually pass away due to the destruction of the earth by fire at some future time.

    Something (fine jewelry or gold as mentioned in the verse) that is precious is considered to be costly, held dear and esteemed by the owner.

    The title of this devotional is "Precious..." The ending was left empty so that you could fill in the blank. What is precious to you? I watched a news broadcast on TV (shows you how old I am) that had a segment devoted to the possible banning of cell phones in school. It was obvious to me that the students they filmed thought their cell phones were precious to them. They lovingly cradled them in one hand, heads bowed down, flipping through the screens, and never looking up.

    My "Precious" filling in the blank is time. Time is irreplaceable, when it has passed, the time you just left is forever gone. Job said in Job 34:15 that all flesh will perish. Like a game show, the buzzer sounds, your time to answer the question and win the prize is over. 

    Time is an investment of self in the interactions you will face, whether you are young or old. What time will you have here on earth? 70 to 100 years? How many years of that have you used up already? The outcomes (being helpful, being kind, maintaining a good reputation) is worth your time and investment. 

    Beyond the time you spent on earth, have you thought about eternity?  I would suggest that knowing God as personal Saviour, reading your Bible, praying and yielding to His revealed plan for you in His Word is time well spent.

    Focus on what is above now, on earth, and life will be better for those around you. I'll use myself as an example. I took of my 'limited' time on earth to invest in you! I prayed on what to say to you. I looked up Scriptures to hopefully be a blessing to you. The effort made me feel closer to God as I sought to serve Him and be a help to others.

    Life might get you down at times, as the pressure mounts and you struggle to keep close to God. Lile Peter's mention of faith in 1 Peter 1:7, the Bible also speaks in Revelation 22:5 about time in eternity. No more night, which usually separates one day on earth from the next day. Time will not be as we know it now- "the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign for ever and ever." 

    By faith, use you time while on earth to serve God. It will be time well spent. You'll have hope that you will be with God in Heaven forever.