In our last visit I introduced the final practical principle we discovered in our study of 1 Samuel 25. It’s expressed by Jesus in John 9:4, “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work.”
This verse breaks down simply into three points:
1. opportunity everywhere.
2. opportunity ebbing.
3. opportunity ended.
I remember teaching Bible at WheatonAcademy. I would tell my High School students at the outset of the semester what my expectations were. I gave them a project to work on that would have to be turned in two weeks before the end of the semester. I encouraged them, if they started the research for this project right away the opportunity to find the right material would be available everywhere. If they couldn’t find it readily they had plenty of time to search for it elsewhere.
If they put off starting the research they would soon find the opportunity ebbing away each day. The longer they put off the research the harder it would be to find what they were looking for, because by then others were looking for and checking out the material for themselves.
If they waited until the week before the project was due the opportunity would have virtually ebbed away. On the due date for the project, if they didn’t have it done, opportunity ended. They would get a failing mark.
Good students heeded my word of warning and got started early on. Others put it off, and periodically would tell me they can’t find information. Their finished project reflected this. Sadly, some put it off too long and failed.
The principle: Do what you need to do NOW.
