I’ve had fancy, and I’ve had fillin’. Give me fillin’ every time.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Pumpkin Rollers)
“He did not even spare His own Son but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?”
–Romans 8:32 HCSB
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Here is a hymn that possibly will never be sung in a church again. The words are just not proper for the enlightened Christian of the 21st century. After all, God’s Word is meant to be interpreted by the individual, not actually doing and living by the actual, authoritative Word of God.
“Take time to be holy,
Speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always,
And feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children;
Help those who are weak;
Forgetting in nothing
His blessing to seek.”
–William Dunn Longstaff
Time does truly rush on. Technology is trying to take the place of God. Phone time, not study time. Social media, not prayer. Knowledge is rampant and right at our fingertips, therefore, the seeking of God should be the same way. Tarry? My, what an archaic word. I don’t have time to spend with God in secret for the big game is coming on. On and on and on we make with the excuses and yet we are told to be holy.
“Take time to be holy,
The world rushes on;
Much time spend in secret
With Jesus alone;
By looking to Jesus,
Like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct
His likeness shall see.”
Troubles come, emotional roller-coasters, need help in your struggles no matter what type they are. Go to the pyschologist, the nearest guru, or find the right signs in the stars. No the answer is to seek Christ. Seek to be more like Him. Oh, but that means to be holy. It means to take time in His presence. It means to listen to Him and not rush ahead of what He is doing in your life. It means to make sure that every motive is in line with His Word. Our thoughts need to be captive and in obedience to His Word and will. It is not done in a rush, just like the training of a soldier is not done overnight, being trained to be a disciple of the Lord takes time.
“Take time to be holy,
Let Him be thy guide,
And run not before Him
Whatever betide;
In joy or in sorrow
Still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus,
Still trust in His Word.
Take time to be holy,
Be calm in thy soul;
Each thought and each motive
Beneath His control;
Thus led by His Spirit
To fountains of love,
Thou soon shalt be fitted
For service above.”
First Peter 1:16 declares, “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” Our lives should be like that of Jesus and therefore we should seek holiness, more so as the evil grows and the day of the Lord approaches. Peter wrote again, “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God].” (2 Peter 3:11, AMP)
Interesting that last phrase. We are on this earth and what we do here largely determines our “service above.” Something to ponder.