Life: Like A Taxi - Episode #37

I woke up very early this Saturday morning. I felt as though I needed to spend time alone with GOD, like he wanted to tell me something or for me to do something. It started yesterday morning actually. 

I had prayed that GOD would use me that day to do something meaningful for him. I started the day strong working on a variety of things I had on my to do list for this podcast outreach. But last night as I was about to fall asleep I realized I had gotten majorly distracted and felt disappointed and that I had not accomplished very much of what I had intended to do, that as the day progressed I had completely forgotten to seek GOD and wait for his response. 

You know, we can spend our entire lifetime repeating the pattern of good intentions and plans being diverted due to our distractions and getting sidetracked by things that don't make any difference. I have done this over and over in my life.

Let's talk about this more.

Transcript

spk_1:   0:06
Hello. I'm Jeff. My wife and I host message of hope. Message of Hope wants to be your weekly inspirational, motivational and non judgmental friend to help you through your week as we share bottle truth and life experiences to let you know you're not alone. Let's join Sandra to see what message of hope she has today.

spk_0:   0:28
Hello, I'm Sandra, your host. First off, let me say I've got a bit of bronchitis, so forgive me for the scratchy voice, but I wanted to share with you what happened to me this past week. I woke up really early this Saturday morning. I was feeling as though I really needed to spend some time alone with God like he was wanted to tell me something or for me to do something. It started yesterday morning. I had prayed that God would use me that day to do something meaningful for him. And I had started the day out strong, working on a variety of things that I had on my to do list for this podcast outreach. But last night, as I was about to fall asleep, I realized that I had gotten majorly distracted and I felt disappointed that I had not accomplished very much of what I had intended to do that day, that as the day had progressed, I had completely forgotten to see God and a weight on his response. I ended up tossing and turning all night, and now I find myself up early, sitting in the quiet, drinking my coffee, and I'm trying to just be still and quiet and actually listen toe what my spirit says to me or directs me to do. You know, I was thinking we can spend our entire lifetime repeating the pattern of good intentions and plans being diverted due to our distractions and getting sidetracked by things that don't make any difference at all. I have done this over and over in my life. I was reading a quote from someone named Lou Erickson that is applicable to how we let time get wasted. And that quote is this. Life is like a taxi. The meter just keeps a ticking, whether you're getting somewhere or if you're just sitting steel. I know in my life. At first you know, I was young and I didn't really grasp the significance of spending time with God and seeking his guidance, and that is, I get a little older. I found love, and then I spent my time pleasing my maid and put God in the back seat to a degree. Then, as I got a little older and had kids, I had to juggle to give them and my husband time and attention, and I would put God on a shelf and take him down on Lee in times of trouble or in need. You know, we repeat the vicious cycle of letting ourselves become distracted by life and our jobs to the point of exhaustion. At times in my subconscious, I think I've probably told myself that God understands how busy I am with work and family and that he blessed me with these people in my life. So this is how he would want me to spend all my time. And that's true to a degree. He does bless us with our Children. But he also wants to be included in our lives in Heaven knows we desperately need him toe help us in raising them and in maintaining our sanity. Now that I'm retired and I no longer work and my Children have grown, I have more time to focus on others, to spend time with God to make a difference in this world, as I've always desired to do. But I still find that I waste so much time, much of it through Idol nothingness, scrolling Facebook, playing a game on my phone or computer, just zoning out because life has made me tired but were warned of this. I was looking in Ephesians 5 11 which says, Don't waste your time on useless work. Mere busywork. The bear in pursuit of darkness exposed these things for the sham that they are. My eyes were really being open to the fact that small, seemingly innocent things small things or busywork I get so lost in doing even in the times I have good intentions, they can end up stealing a lot more of my time and my attention than I had ever intended. As I think about it, I realized, even though I have lost a father, a mother of brother, many aunts and uncles and friends to death somehow I'm still guilty of thinking it won't happen to me or I try not to think about it at all. And you know that's very sad. We take life and health for granted. I'm at what I would consider the last chapter of my life at 60. And I realized, even if I'm granted several more years with no big health issues, no accidents or tragedy, I'm still going to be passing out of this life soon. And yet I still find myself wasting so much time letting myself get distracted from doing the things I know I should and really want to get done to make a difference in my life, in the life of my family and my friends and in my service to God while I still have time. I looked up a scripture in Ephesians 5 15 to 20 and it says, Be very careful how you live. Live wisely, not like fools. I mean that you should use every opportunity you have for doing good, because these times are evil. Don't be foolish with your lives, but learn what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, which will run your life but be filled with the spirit. Encourage each other was psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your hearts to the Lord always give thanks to God, the father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I myself have been so guilty of making many different excuses in my life about why I haven't gotten certain things done because I didn't have time. But you know what I was thinking? When it's time for this is us one of my favorite TV shows, I make sure that I set that time apart. Tow Watch it. This proves that when it's important enough or it matters enough to us, we find the time, don't we? And that is a sad state of affairs when our mind remembers to spend time in front of the TV, but not in front of the Bible or in intended time in prayer to God for the wisdom and the direction that we so desperately need to make it through our day. Proverbs 66 to 11 says, you lazy people. You should watch what the ants do and learn from them. Ants have no ruler, no boss and no leader. But in the summer, ants gather all their food and save it. So when winter comes, there is plenty to eat. You lazy people. How long are you going to lie there? When will you get up? You say I need a rest. I think I'll take a short nap. But then you sleep and sleep and become poorer and poorer. Soon you will have nothing. It will be as if a thief came and stole everything you owned. And what he's been stealing for me is my time. I don't know about you. But today I am hearing loud and clear that I need to intentionally make the time for God to get my spirit renewed and define the directions and the steps that he wants me to take in this life. Romans 12 to tells us. Don't change yourselves to be like the people of this world. But let God change you inside with the new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect. And another great scripture up them for encouragement. And along this line is Isaiah 40 28 to 31. It reads, Don't you know? Haven't you heard? The Lord is the everlasting god, the creator of the ends of the Earth. He doesn't grow tired or weary. His understanding is beyond human reach. Giving power to the tired and reviving the exhausted use will become tired and weary. Young men will certainly stumble, but those who hope in the Lord they will renew their strength. They will fly up on wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be weary. Praise God, Did you hear that? God gives power to the tired and he revives the exhausted. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will fly up on wings like eagles. They will run and not be tired. They will walk and not be weary. Hallelujah! Isn't that what we're all seeking in this chaotic, exhausting, messy thing called Life? And we will have our time of rest soon enough to as told to us in Hebrews 12 1 and two. Therefore, since we're surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance. The race marked out for us fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Pioneer and the perfecter of faith for the joy set before him. He endured the cross, scorning It's shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, like that meter on the taxi. The time we have left in this life and the opportunities to be a difference maker is being lost minute by minute in the careless ways that we spend it, because the meter is ticking, whether you're spending it, investing in helping others as well as your own eternal destiny or if you're just setting there. Either way, it's guaranteed the time is passing. Setting still in the taxi makes no difference. The meter is still running, so let's get on down the road. Let's reach our destination eternal. Having done what we were created to do with that being said, I guess I need to wrap it up and get a moving. So I encourage you today go to our website at M s, G o f h o p e dot com, and on the podcast tab, you will find Season two Episode 37 where you can re listen to this podcast and find the references for the scriptures we read together today so that you can study them for yourself and make any adjustments according to what God alone lays on your specific cart. And as always, we thank you for listening to our podcast and for helping us to spread the good news of Jesus Christ by liking and sharing it with your friends. And if our podcast has helped you in any way or you need prayer, we would love to hear about that. You can contact us at MSG o f H o p e one at gmail dot com, or directly on our website as we were instructed in the Scriptures. We are to be an encouragement to each other. So I want to pray a prayer over you today and would appreciate it if you would do the same for me. Are you ready? Let's pray This is for the person praying with me right now I pray for you that God will make you completely sure of what God wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding that you need that this will help you to live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way that your life will produce good works of every kind. And that you will grow in your knowledge of God, that God will strengthen you with his own great power so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come. Then you will be happy and give thanks to the father he has made you ableto have what he has promised to give to all his holy people who live in the light. Thank you, God, for making the person listening right now free from the power of darkness and bringing them into the kingdom of your only dear son, Jesus, that paid the price to make them free. And in him they have forgiveness of all their sins. We thank you for loving us so very, very much. Amen. Until next time, Chalone.