Is It Time?

"Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you." (Hosea 10: 12)

When I was in my high school "Bible Literature" class, I recall the following words, from the above verse, being written over the classroom clock - IT IS TIME TO SEEK THE LORD. I have since recalled it many times and have even cited it in sermons and bible lessons. It is a good verse to commit to memory.

Not only is it "time to seek the Lord" but it is past time for nearly all sinners, for they have procrastinated and refused to heed the call of God by the prophet. Those who have not sought the Lord cannot justifiably say, "it is not time for me to seek the Lord," for it is always time for sinners (and Christians too) to "seek the Lord." Wrote Paul:

"We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)." (II Corinthians 6: 1, 2)

The words Paul speaks to procrastinating and neglectful souls are from the Old Testament, and they were spoken by the prophet for the benefit of people in his time, but they were also applicable to the same kind of souls in Paul's own day, even as they are still true and applicable to souls in our modern day.

It is a delusion that possesses the minds of sinners, and even some Christians, though to a lessor degree, that they "have all the time in the world" to seek the Lord, to "make it right" with him, to "get saved," before they die. Such deceived souls "put far away the evil day" (Amos 6: 3). They think it is NOT time to seek the Lord. Not only Amos, but also the prophet Haggai also dealt with this delusion.

"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD's house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes." (Haggai 1: 2-6)

Yes, these deluded souls had judged that it was time for them to sin, time for them to neglect God and their salvation, time for them to indulge themselves in sinful activities, and time for them to do their own work, and that it was conversely not time for them to work for the Lord, to do his will, to put him first in their lives. Thus the message to them was - "consider your ways." Their refusal to see the present imperative and to act upon it, brought upon them all kinds of sore punishments. One of the consequences of this refusal to seek the Lord was "inflation," the putting of "wages" into a "bag with holes."

"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Romans 13: 11, 12)

These verses warn sinners of the dangers of waiting too long, of procrastinating to the point of no return, as regards their obeying the word of the Lord. Repentance cannot be postponed without great risks to one's eternal well being. When something is "high time" it is almost beyond time, almost too late. No one has promise of tomorrow, so to put off till tomorrow, can be most devastating.

"He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16: 2, 3)

These poor sinners did not have the foggiest idea of what time it was, spiritually speaking. They could tell you about when it might be time for rain, or time for nice weather, or when it might be time for them to seek sinful pleasure, but they could not discern how it was time for them to repent, and time for them to "seek the Lord." Wrote Paul:

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 16)

Do you not, at this time, have need of God's mercy and grace? Do you not have great needs? If you see you have such needs, is it then not "time to seek the Lord"? It is "time for you to seek the Lord" if you are in a "time of need."

"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (I Peter 4: 17)

"Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time." (I John 2: 18)

Friend, the "day is far spent" for many. Today may be the last day of your life, and be your last opportunity to seek and find the Lord. Do not assume that you will have other days and opportunities. "Today is the day of salvation." "Hear his voice today" is the message of the gospel.