Countdown

That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.” ~ Joel 2:12 (NLT)

I am blessed to teach a Bible class at Milo Adventist Academy. It’s one of the things I enjoy the most. As we walk through the Scriptures, and they come alive for students, confusion is replaced with understanding, faith is grown, and, for some, the seeds of salvation are planted and later harvested. When we let the Word of God speak, it does incredible, miraculous things.

However, part of the coursework that the students don’t enjoy so much are the exams. At the end of each quarter the students are given an essay-style exam. They are posed one question and given 90 minutes to answer it. It sounds simple enough. For some, it is. For others, it’s a stress-filled time of torture. As the exam unfolds, I write the remaining time on the classroom dry-erase board. At first, there are no comments. When I get to about the 15 minute mark, I start to hear moans from the teens. When I get to the five minute mark, signs of panic begin to emerge. Realizing that time is running out can be very painful.

Enter the prophet Joel, and this amazing verse. “Turn to me now, while there is time.”

Ever since the world was created, the clock has been ticking down to the moment when it would be destroyed. In addition to the destruction of the earth, the clock has been ticking down on humanity as well. We have been given a time-period in which we can make a choice to either follow God, and accept Jesus as our personal Savior, or we can choose to go down with the sinking ship that is this world. Let there be no doubt about it, it is our choice.

For some, the clock is ticking down faster than others. As they near the end of their lifespan, death will make the choice for them if they haven’t already. For others, there is still time to make the choice. However, unlike the dry-erase board in my classroom, there is no countdown that shows us exactly how much time each of us have left. After all, we are only one breath away from it all coming to an end.

Today, if you have not made your choice to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, stop wasting time. Stop putting off the best decision that can ever be made. Seek Christ. Call upon His name, and rest secure in the arms of your Savior.