Redeeming The Time

Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

 

Acts 8:40

Many times men or women limit there availability to be used by God in their lives, because what it seems that He is leading them in does not match up to what they themselves had set out to do. God has called each of us to be good stewards of our time and our resources. And it is just as important to learn how to say yes as it is to say no to what we (the flesh) is wanting, opposed to what the Holy Spirit is leading us in. It seems that believers justify a lack of obedience under the guise of stewardship.

Take a minute to look at Philip's life and how he responded to the Holy Spirit's leading, even though he must have question (the flesh) if he was hearing right and probably wrestled with staying right where he was, where it seemed he should be and was being greatly used by God.

 

Philip was apart of the first to be given a commission to preach the gospel. At one point in his life, he was in the city of Samaria preaching when many miracles began to take place and the crowds came to see what was happening. Then in the midst of this great move of God, the angel of God spoke to Philip and told him to leave Samaria and go to a desert road that led from Jerusalem to Gaza. Imagine how Philip must have questioned the logic of this decision when he was seeing such results in Samaria. But Philip was obedient to the angel. Along the road, he met an Ethiopian eunuch who wanted to have the Scriptures explained to him. Philip explained the Scriptures to the Ethiopian, who was the treasurer of Ethiopia under Queen Candace, and led him to God, then baptized him in a nearby lake. A few moments later, Philip was supernaturally transported many miles northwest of his location to Azotus, where he preached along the way toward his final destination of Caesarea.

So often we think that if we can focus on this skill or talent that God has blessed us with, or if we could find the right job, or if we could just hurry up and move forward in different areas of our lives, that then and only then we will be ready for God to use us and that our lives will go according to our plans.

 

However, sometimes God wants to use us right where we are or transport us to the place that He has just for us, to do that which only we can do for Him. We see God redeemed the time for Philip by supernaturally transporting him to the next place he was to be.

 

Sometimes we go through life wishing away our time instead of redeeming the time that has been given to us. We have to learn to live in the day that has been given to us, instead of looking to what the future holds. God will use and redeem our time as we look to Him to lead us, even when we feel that the things in which we are doing are not that which we had hoped for.

 

We have to remember that God sees the overall big picture and that some times we get tunnel vision and are not able to accomplish what He has in store for us, especially if we become consumed with fulfilling what we want instead of what He has for us. Do not fall into the trap of believing that God cannot redeem the time as we walk in obedience—the key here is being obedient. If He calls us to go beyond our earthly limits of what we know, be assured He will be there to see us through it to the end and will meet our needs like He only can.

 

God desires that we respond as Philip did in order for Him to have His way in our lives and so that we can be used by Him in the life of another person. Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit so that you can go and speak when He says go and speak. Do not fear the consequences of what that might mean if it requires leaving your home, work, or the many monetary pleasures and interests for a time. God will make a way and redeem your time both now and in the future as you follow His lead on your life and not your own. God always takes care of those who are obedient and He is more concerned about obedience than the bottom line.

 

Commit your all—life, family, relationships, job, finances, hopes, dreams, and goals—to Him who knows you best and wants to redeem the time to bless you for His glory!