Some of us live in the past 鈥� yesterday, last week, the summer of 鈥�09, or was that 鈥�89? Going forward is difficult when we鈥檙e focused on the rear-view mirror.
By contrast, some of us live in a 鈥榝antasy future鈥� 鈥� tomorrow, next week, next year, when we get that new job, or new truck, or maybe win the lottery! Saskatchewan is 鈥楴ext Year鈥� country after all, isn鈥檛 it? Hey, it鈥檚 okay to look ahead; just be careful not to trip over the rock under foot just in front of you.
But what about today? Yesterday was, but it is gone. Tomorrow will come but when it gets here it won鈥檛 be tomorrow. Isn鈥檛 鈥榯oday鈥� the only day we really have?
When the Almighty God of heaven revealed himself to people, he called himself, 鈥淚 AM鈥�. Not 鈥淚 Was鈥�; not 鈥淚 Will Be鈥�. It seems he wanted to let us know that he lives in the 鈥榥ow.鈥�
Through the psalmist, he entreats us: 鈥淚f only you would listen to his voice today!鈥� (Ps 95.7 NLT).
Through the prophet he invites us, 鈥溾�機ome now, let us reason together,鈥� says the Lord鈥� (Isaiah 1.18).
Through one of his chief New Testament spokespeople, he reminds us that God has said, 鈥淎t just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you. Indeed, the 鈥榬ight time鈥� is now. Today is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6.2 NLT).
Jesus told a story about a wealthy farmer who was looking at a bumper crop (Luke 18. 16-21). He was short of bin space so he did what any of us would do. He made a plan to get more storage capacity. Then he did something that some of us might be tempted to do. He indulged in a self-centered reverie about a very comfortable future.
鈥淚鈥檒l say to myself, 鈥楳y friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink and be merry!鈥欌��
What he didn鈥檛 know was that he would die that night. He made plans for his farm and he made plans for his pleasure, but he neglected to make plans for his own personal spiritual future.
We are soon coming into the busiest season of the year. Farmers will need to harvest their crop and they will need space to store it. They, and we, do have to make some future plans. But if those plans all centre on prosperity and comfort without regard to God and eternity, we are neglecting what matters most.
Today is the day of salvation. Even in harvest time. Some of the saddest words in the Bible are found in Jeremiah 8.20: 鈥淭he harvest is past, the summer has ended, and we are not saved.鈥�
Thankfully, summer is not over; harvest is not past. It is still today, and we can take advantage of the opportunity that God in his grace has put before us.
