Carpe Diem!
Seize the Day
When was the last time you woke up and said “It’s time to get up out of bed, God wants to change the world through my life”?
God does want to change our life and the world around us every day.
God has called us to do something. Remember a book about a decade ago that was called don’t just stand there, pray something? I would like to change that name of the book to don’t just stand there do something.
Let’s look at the great commission as a place to see God’s calling on our lives as well as the lives of every Christian everywhere.
Matthew 28:19&20
19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
God wants us to enjoy every day He has given us.
Psalm 118:24 NIV
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
God wants us to live our lives to the fullest.
John 10:10 NIV
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10 (KJV)
10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Did you see what it said in the KJV? More ABUNDANTLY? Do you know what that means?
1. plentiful: present in great quantities
2. well-supplied: providing a more than plentiful supply of something
"Overflow"
John 10:10 (The Message)
10A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
God wants us to have a life better than we ever dreamed of and He wants us to have the desires of our hearts.
Psalm 37:4 NIV
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The question is what does our hearts desire?
Is it what God wants for us?
God wants us to seize the day because within each day there are opportunities God has given just waiting to be opened.
You may ask how we do that.
1. Use the Jonathan factor
What is the Jonathan factor? Let’s see for ourselves.
1 Samuel 13:3-8NIV
3Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become a stench to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal.
5The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Micmash, east of Beth Aven. 6When the men of Israel saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter.
Do you see it? Did you notice it? God had called him to be a warrior for Israel, the Hebrews.
We all can be armchair quarterbacks, you know sideliners hollering what needs to be done and how to do but the trouble is we are not in the game. If we are not part of the solution we are part of the problem.
Jonathan did not wait for God to put every thing in his sight, giving him all the details, he just did what he was called to do. We at times will only do what we want and how we want not caring about any thing but ourselves. Its like saying to God I will do it, if I can do it my way. God only if I get the results I want and it does not make it hard on me. We become selfish and self-centered only thinking about our selves and our wants. Waaa Waaa Waaa little crybabies. We need to remember it was God calling us to do what He wants and when He wants. Lets see how Jonathan acted later in chapter 14
1 Samuel 14:6-8 NIV
6Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the LORD will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.” 7“Do all that you have in mind,” his armor-bearer said. “Go ahead; I am with you heart and soul.”
8Jonathan said, “Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them see us.
1 Samuel 14:6-8 (The Message)
6Jonathan said to his armor bearer, “Come on now, let’s go across to these uncircumcised pagans. Maybe God will work for us. There’s no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when he sets his mind to it.”
7His armor bearer said, “Go ahead. Do what you think best. I’m with you all the way.”
8Jonathan said, “Here’s what we’ll do. We’ll cross over the pass and let the men see we’re there
He did not know if God was going to rescue them, save them, or if he was going to die. All he knew is God called him to do something and he was going to do it, no matter what the end result was.
A. Jonathan did not presume to dictate to the Lord what He (God) should do.
B. he depended not on his own strength or might but on the strength of the Lord. The only type of strength God can provide.
There were only two swords in the whole army, Saul had one and Jonathan had the other.
1 Samuel 13:22 NIV
22So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them.
And the Army of Hebrews was facing about 1000 Philistines and with only 600 men. No swords only farm equipment, clubs and axes.
According to Josephus in his historical book antiquates. After the battle started with only two men who killed 20 in less that a half acre distance the battle raged on and the total men who entered into the battle was up to 10,000 Hebrews who were hiding in the hills and forest and were scared to fight at first. Josephus goes on to say ten thousands of ten thousands Philistines were killed. Can you see God in this?
When we are down to nothing God is up to something.
When we wait for God to move we can be to late to what God wants. Because God is already there, waiting on us!!!
