This morning, before I left for South Korea, I was telling my parents about my itinerary, and my dad made a comment that I would basically lose almost an entire day of my life, because of the time change. And it's true; while it feels like late afternoon on Saturday, it is actually earning morning on Sunday.
I started thinking about when the Lord made the sun stand still for Joshua and his army. How many of us would like to have time stand still; to have an interminable amount of time to do what needs to get done? Far more often, however, we lose time, instead of gain it. How many times have we started a project without ambition, thinking that we have all the time in the world to finish it? How often do we procrastinate even beginning, thinking that there's no rush, we'll have plenty of time? And then, all of a sudden, in an instant, time's up. We've lost our chance.
How many days have we lost because of procrastination? How many chances have we missed because we weren't paying attention? Days like Joshua's don't happen very often. Far more often, we wake up one morning and realize that we have lost time, not gained it.
So my challenge to you - and to myself - as I sit in Incheon International Airport, is this - don't waste your life. Take advantage of every opportunity. God intends for us to seize the moment, not ask for Him to stop time.
2That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
3Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
6And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
10And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
11And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
I started thinking about when the Lord made the sun stand still for Joshua and his army. How many of us would like to have time stand still; to have an interminable amount of time to do what needs to get done? Far more often, however, we lose time, instead of gain it. How many times have we started a project without ambition, thinking that we have all the time in the world to finish it? How often do we procrastinate even beginning, thinking that there's no rush, we'll have plenty of time? And then, all of a sudden, in an instant, time's up. We've lost our chance.
How many days have we lost because of procrastination? How many chances have we missed because we weren't paying attention? Days like Joshua's don't happen very often. Far more often, we wake up one morning and realize that we have lost time, not gained it.
So my challenge to you - and to myself - as I sit in Incheon International Airport, is this - don't waste your life. Take advantage of every opportunity. God intends for us to seize the moment, not ask for Him to stop time.
Joshua 10:1-14
1Now it came to pass, when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them; 2That they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty.
3Wherefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem, sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,
4Come up unto me, and help me, that we may smite Gibeon: for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.
5Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together, and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon, and made war against it.
6And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, Slack not thy hand from thy servants; come up to us quickly, and save us, and help us: for all the kings of the Amorites that dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us.
7So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he, and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valour.
8And the LORD said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee.
9Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.
10And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah, and unto Makkedah.
11And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel, and were in the going down to Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died: they were more which died with hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.
12Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
13And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
14And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
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