Every Moment Is God's Moment

In the mid-twentieth century, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Psalm of Life was the most popular poem in the United States. The following borrows from Longfellow's rhyme and meter and, to some extent, his subject matter. We all need a rousing call, from time to time, to stir us from the idleness that dreams constantly of the past or the future, but lets the present pass by unheeded.

However, the busy life is no great improvement on the lazy one if busy toward the wrong goals and projects. The world is full of people who spend their lives chasing "success" and die wishing they'd taken more time to just be--or who literally kill themselves with activity before they realize what's happened.

Most tragic is the Christian who is too busy to hear God telling him that there's something else he should be doing. The weekly day of rest was probably included in the Ten Commandments not only to keep us from wearing ourselves out physically, but to get our minds away from the world's input for a while, so we could listen undistracted for our Creator's voice.

Which is not to say we should ignore Him the rest of the time. He gave us our hours and our lives; but they still belong to Him by right. He may tell us, at any time, to drop what we planned and take on work He has planned for us. Every moment is His moment.

Every moment is God's moment;
Every hour is His alone.
We, redeemed by Christ's atonement,
Dare not count our time our own.

Serving God is not a question
How much of our time we give:
His commandment--not suggestion--
Is for Him alone we live.

Do not say you'll do it later;
No tomorrow can be sure.
Give today to your Creator:
Only His work will endure.

Do not mourn the past times squandered;
Do not say your chance is lost.
Every soul that ever wandered
Finds fresh chances in the Cross.

To our God all time is current;
Past and future, in His eyes,
All are one, and no occurrence
Ever caught Him by surprise.

All your talents, all your earnings,
Are yours by God's grace alone:
Take your cravings, take your yearnings;
Sacrifice them at His throne.

Stewardship is not a question
Of how much of ours we give:
God's commandment--not suggestion--
Is for Him alone we live.

Put no trust in earthly treasures,
All of which are quickly lost.
Put no stock in fleshly pleasures;
Flesh belongs upon the Cross.

Give yourself--your skills and talents,
Every penny of your wealth--
To the Lord, Who holds in balance
All of life and strength and health.

Give your earthly days to labor,
Ever seeking for God's will:
When we meet our Heavenly Neighbor,
There'll be joy in service still.