We have just begun a new year. If Jesus does not return to take us home first and graciously grants us life, 2017 holds the opportunity of 365 days to wake up and live for Him!
In polls done of thousands of people, the question was asked, “What is your greatest fear in life?” By far the greatest response was, “To live a life that, in the end really did not matter.” Put another way, people fear a life that has no lasting impact on the others or their culture. The question could be asked, “How does one combat that great fear?” Is there any solution to the majority of people’s fear? Yes, resoundingly, yes!
Recently I had the privilege to preach at a local church. My text of Scripture was Psalm 90, the sermon title, “Your Days are Numbered, So Make Them Count.” Psalm 90 was written by Moses, thus it is 450 years older than the 75 Psalms that David wrote, and it is the oldest known Psalm of the 150 Psalms in the Old Testament. In the first ten verses of Psalm 90, Moses writes of God’s eternality and the brevity of people. He states the general principle that we generally get 70 to 80 years to live (Ps. 90:10).
In light of this brevity, Moses, writing for God, gives some wise counsel which can be summed up in two key truths:
- Live each day to the full (90:12). Rather than go through the motions today while waiting for a future day (vacation, day off, trip to an exotic location, etc.). We should not merely mark days off our calendar as they pass, but see in each day another opportunity to serve God’s purposes in and through our lives.
- Give answers to and ask God to make our efforts last (90:13,14). Twice Moses asked, God to “establish the work of our hands.” Only a few things are lasting, two of them are the Bible (Isaiah 40:8) and people. As we deposit the truth of the Word into the lives of people, our work takes on eternal significance.
I am happy to inform you that as you partner with CCBS, your efforts and work take on eternal significance. People are being changed by the Word and being launched into the world to make a difference there. Two recent graduates of our online degree programs are teaming up to plant a new church in their area. A recent graduate of our on-campus degree programs teaches Bible at a local high school and coaches the boys J.V. basketball team. More than 50 local churches are pastored by CCBS graduates! Take heart, your work through CCBS is being established by our Father and will last eternally.
Dr. Bill F. Korver, President