Don't let up: Is 56:1-2

“Thus says the LORD, ‘Preserve justice and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed. How blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it; who keeps from profaning the sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.’” (Isaiah 56:1-2)

Knowing that Jesus will one day return to take to Himself His bride and to judge the living and the dead, what sort of people ought we to be and how should we live our lives? In the story of the minas, Jesus tells of a rich man who was going on a great journey. “He called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’” (Luke 19:13) While we wait for Jesus’ return, we are to be actively involved in the work of the Kingdom. This is not a time to “sit back” and to “take it easy.” This is a time to live seriously, to “walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV) These days are not an intermission they are the main event. We must live each day as if it counts for eternity because it really does. Jesus reminds us of the kind of lives we should live.

“Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says in his heart, ‘My master will be a long time in coming,’ and begins to beat the slaves, both men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers.” (Luke 12:42-46)

We must never loose site of why we are here. The servant in this story became distracted with the pleasures of the world. His concern for himself led him to despise and mistreat the other servants of his master. When we loose site of our mission and calling in God, when we take a break from the work He has called us to, we can easily be lead astray to worthless things that can harm our lives and the lives of those we love. We must keep focused on our master and His will and calling for our life. We have a job to do and a calling to answer. We must never let up! We must keep on pressing into the things of the Kingdom of God!

David Robison