Sunday, February 3, 2013

Exhortation from the life of Adoniram Judson

Several days ago, I began to read a biography of the life of Adoniram Judson. I say began, because it is a thick book, and I have by no means finished it! However, I want to share with you an exerpt from a letter he wrote to his is wife before they were married.

"Of how much real happiness we cheat our souls by preferring a trifle to God! We have a general intention of living religion; but we intend to begin to-morrow or next year. The present moment we prefer giving to the world. 'A little more sleep, a little more slumber.' Well, a little more sleep, and we shall sleep in the grave. A few more days, and our work will be done. And when it is once done, it is done to all eternity., A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity. If it be marked with sins, the marks will be indelible. If it has been a useless life, it can never be improved. Such it will stand forever and ever. The same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever. It will never become less true that such a day was spent in such a manner. Each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will affect our everlasting destiny. No day will lose its share of influence in determining where shall be our seat in heaven. How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! It will then be too late to mend its appearance. It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly marked."

This was a tremendous challenge to me to manage the time I still have and redeem it, "because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:16) Time is one of the most precious resources God has given to us. Indeed, time is so precious that no amount of money can buy so much as one second of it. No amount of worldly power can increase the amount of time we receive each day. Everyone who lives through a day has had access to the same amount of time. How will yours be marked for eternity?

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the post, Thomas. I appreciated what you said about the time given to us... I have heard it said that none of us really have our own time. What we have has been given to us by God and we are to take it and use all of it for His glory. We can do none else.

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