Tuesday, November 28, 2017
John 17:1 And this is ETERNAL LIFE, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
I DON'T HAVE TIME TODAY
You know the feeling. The list of "to do's" for the day is more than you can possibly handle or accomplish. You're just too busy for anything extra! But what happened on those days when your grandmother or father, spouse, child, or best friend lay on that hospital bed and you knew every moment with that loved one was precious-- or, more than that, it was priceless, and would be one of your last? Everything slowed down in those moments. Life changed. Work and other daily routine activities quickly took a back seat to those fleeting minutes that seemed to pass through your hands as sand.
Like each of us in those moments, Jesus' disciples didn't fully understand the little bit of time they had left with Him before His crucifixion and death. At the end of John chapter sixteen Jesus told them plainly that the hour was coming when He would be separated from them. In fact, in fear and shame they would leave Jesus alone and scatter from Him when He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane. So what does Jesus do in those last few moments before it all happened just as He said it would?
Jesus prays. He prays for His disciples to continue in His Word and believe in the work He was about to accomplish for their sins and the sins of the whole world, including yours and mine. Jesus could have said, "I don't have time to pray. I don't have time to walk with them or sit by them anymore. I have to finish My work." But Jesus took time to pray for them and for each one of us (John 17:20), because you and I are His work! It was you He thought of in the Garden, you He thought of on the cross. He still promises you, "Because I live, you will live also" (John 14:19). "This is eternal life…" Jesus says.
As you plan out your day tomorrow, or even the rest of the day today, think for a moment of what really matters most in this infinitely short life in comparison to eternity. Think about the time you take for Jesus-- in devotions, in Bible study, in God's house, in serving Jesus instead of self, or in prayer for others and loved ones. Think of your Lord Jesus and put all your work and daily activities on hold just like you have done for that loved one on their death bed. Because Jesus did this for you! Because Jesus is still alive! And because you and I for now, right now, really do have the time.
