WASTED YEARS

Wasted years. Many of us have had them in one form or another, haven’t we?

When I look back over my life, I am ashamed that there were so many wasted years. Years that I could have been serving the Lord, but didn't. There were wasted years of doing things not honoring to Him. Years went by without giving Him all the honor and glory. Many years were wasted not trusting Him, nor being thankful for all He has done.

There were years of wasted opportunities when I could have told others about Jesus, but didn't - choosing to be silent instead. There were wasted years of selfish motives and pride, and wasted years of neglecting the many that stood by me. Wasted years… The list could go on and on.

Oh, how the wasted years littered my life's pathway. Oh, how foolish was I!

But, praise God! Those years were my yesterdays. The wasted years of my yesterdays have been washed clean by the precious blood of the Lamb. God blotted out all of them at Calvary – to be remembered no more (Is. 43:25). My sins once as scarlet are now whiter than snow, and what was once red as crimson is now as wool (Is. 1:18). Yesterday’s weight of sin has been cast into the depths of the sea (Mic. 7:19). Hallelujah! My chains are gone!

The moments of today are filled with a new song - a song bursting forth from deep within my heart and soul. It's a song of praise and thanksgiving. It's a song of sharing the Good News of the gospel. I can sing that new song knowing that those wasted years are in the past – having been removed from me as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12).

My tomorrows will be filled with the joy, hope, and assurance that can only come by faith alone in my Savior, Lord, and Master. He gave His life for you and me – paying the full penalty for all sin that we might have life (John 3:16).

However, that new song can’t be sung until we choose to meet Jesus at the cross. It’s at the foot of that cross where He offers forgiveness, redemption, and a new life with Him in our heart. We must humbly submit and kneel before Jesus at that cross, ask Him to forgive our sinful past, accept His sacrificial free gift, repent and turn away from our past life, and confess with our mouth that He is Lord over all (Rom. 10:9,10).

Perhaps there is someone reading this who is living a life of wasted years without Christ as the central focus. Maybe you think of yourself as a Christian, but you’ve never had a close personal relationship with Him, and He’s not the Lord over all things in your life. The years slip away very quickly, and one day they will be gone – all of them wasted.

Then, when your years are gone as they surely will be one day, the time for forgiveness and repentance will also be over, along with any hope of eternal salvation. That should be a horrifying thought – if you don’t truly know Him as your Savior and Lord!

Don’t waste another year. Don’t even waste another day without Him in your life. The psalmist recorded these words in Psalm 84:10 (NKJV), “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” In other words, he is saying that a even few moments in the Presence of God is greater than anything the world would have to offer a thousand times over.

Jesus is calling for you to come to Him today. Listen for His voice and reach out to Him. He’s waiting for you, and He’ll welcome you with open arms as He has promised. Oh, how awesome to hear Him say, “…I have redeemed you, I have called you by your name; You are Mine” (Is. 43:1b).

Titus 2:11-14 (NKJV)For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

Don