Text: Eccl 3:1-8, Ephesians 5:14-17, Colossians 4:5.
To redeem is to buy or pay back; to make up for; to recover or to restore. Also, it is buying up for yourself an opportunity and making the most of it. Time is a precious commodity freely and equally given by God to mankind. God created time and gives it to us as stewards. It is a divine gift. It is the most valuable gift one can give to someone or receive from someone.
Redeeming the time is to take advantage of every opportunity doing what is necessary and important so that it will not slip away. Time can be quantified by minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years. The days are evil; the devil is contending with our time with all its activities and is equally going about to win people to its side and also looking for whom to devour.
The greatest opportunity to have is to be alive and once you are alive you are a steward of time; you will be accountable for every day you have the grace to spend. Our time on earth is short, we need to use it wisely by devoting ourselves to God. Since our days are numbered, let us ask God to teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
We are reminded in Eccl 12:1a that the days are evil, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not." Therefore, each day must be redeemed from the clutches of the devil. Eph 5:16 says, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." Col 4:5 says, "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without redeeming the time." Our Lord Jesus Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law. Gal 3:13 We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. He came to deliver us from sin and its consequences.
How can time (a day) be redeemed?
Redeeming the day starts by waking up early in the morning with praise and worship. Studying the word, meditating on it and acting on it. Praying with thanksgiving. Planning on the twenty four hours freely given to you daily. Work towards achieving the plan.
Apart from your secular work, witness and spread the gospel. Look out for souls to share the gospel with. Walk circumspectly and in the right way. Be focused and have priority. Avoid distractions. Never procrastinate, because procrastination is a thief and killer of time. Walk in the spirit and always act promptly. Avoid the works of the flesh and keep sin at bay. Go about doing good and be at peace with all men as long as it depends on you. Avoid time wasters such as sleeping too much, too much merry making, gossipping, laziness, idleness and prayerlessness.
Invest time in God's service. Learn to sow your time wisely and fill your heart with good thoughts always. Do not be ignorant of the devices of the devil. Assess your self at the end of each day to know if the time is wasted or lost or gainfully used. Have a strong intimacy with God and work to please Him always and live a holy life.
God Almighty gives time priority. He created the universe within six days and rested on the seventh day. He created seasons and each has a limited time to last within each year. He created night and day for specific hours of the day. Eccl 3:1"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. There is time for everything. Never waste it and never miss an opportunity. Be orderly. It is a great part of Christian wisdom to redeem the time by watching against temptation. A good Christian must be a good manager of time. Time not gainfully used is misspent and lost. Make a conscious effort to do what makes the day good.
Let us consider some characters in the Bible and study how they redeemed the time.
CAIN in Gen 4:9-16. God pronounced judgement on Cain for killing his brother Abel; "when he works the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for him; he will be a restless wanderer on the earth...". Cain said to the LORD, "my punishment is more than what I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." But the LORD said to him, "Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him." The pronouncement runs from verses 9-12 and from the succeeding verse Cain cried out to God for clemency." Verses 13-14. Cain did not waste time at all. He seized the opportunity and acted promptly and the LORD had compassion on him and he went about with the mark of God. If Cain had kept quiet then he would have died a restless wanderer.
JOSEPH in Gen 39:5-20. Potiphar made Joseph overseer over his house and put all that he had into Joseph's hand. Because the LORD was with Joseph, everything he did prospered and Potiphar's house was blessed for the sake of Joseph. Potiphar's wife made sexual advances to Joseph but he resisted. She eventually set him up and Joseph took a prompt action by running away from her in the house leaving his cloak which she seized in her hand. Gen 39:7b She said, "Come to bed with me!" Joseph refused and said, "No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" Joseph was aware of the evil lurked up and planned for him by his master's wife, he did not delay, he acted immediately and ran out. He did not even think of his cloak either.
Brethren, to redeem the time, prompt action is necessary. Joseph could have done the wicked thing and sin against God.
HEZEKIAH in Isa 38:1-16. Isaiah came to inform Hezekiah who was ill to a point of death of the LORD's message that he should put his house in order because he would not recover from his illness. As soon as Isaiah finished with the message Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD. He reminded God how he had walked before him faithfully and wholeheartedly and he wept bitterly. The LORD responded immediately by sending Isaiah back to him that he has heard his prayers and had seen his tears and said in Isa 38:6, "I will add fifteen years to your life." And the LORD gave him a sign to show that this promise will be fulfilled. Hezekiah said, "You restored me to health and let me live."
Brethren, Hezekiah redeemed the evil of that time by swinging into action immediately. He prayed unto the LORD and reminded Him of his faithfulness and wholeheartedness. He did not faint when he was told the unpleasant news but prayed. The above made efforts to redeem the time with timely prayers and prompt action reverted the intended death.
PETER in Luke 22:31-32. During the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, he reported, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Time was redeemed for Peter by Jesus Christ.
Brethren, this is to let you be conscious of the evil in the day. Satan is still busy looking for who to sift away from faith. Occupy your time with godly activities. Never be idle otherwise devil will find job for you and your time will be filled with evil activities.
DAVID in 2 Sam 11:5-27. David remained in Jerusalem while his men under the leadership of Joab were off to war. David while walking around on the roof of the palace saw Bathsheba the wife of Uriah who was at the war front. David committed adultery with her and it resulted into pregnancy. David tried to cover up by playing on Uriah but it did not work out. He eventually organised that Uriah be put in front where the fighting is fiercest so that he would be killed. Uriah was killed and Bathsheba became his wife. But the LORD was displeased with what David did. It could be said that David had no plan for the day. He did not make use of that day wisely (he was idle), he did not fill his heart with good things but evil, he had no good intention hence he became a victim of adultery and murder. As a king whose men were off to war, one would have expected him to be busy praying and seeking the face of the LORD for victory in the war but he occupied his mind with evil and he was caught up with it. David became a victim of the evil of the day.
Brethren, it is either you redeem your time or you squander it. Be aware that no one knows when the hour will come, do not be trapped by evil times. Purpose in your heart to spend your time wisely and redeeming every second made available to you.
Prayer.
Heavenly Father, I am very aware that the days are evil, please redeem me from all forms of evil. Grant me the grace to be a good manager of time, to order my time with priority and walk circumspectly. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.