I woke early. You always do. The body is trying hard for figure out where you are and your regular sleep habits try and maintain themselves as you try to adjust to the new time and location. I know later I will hit the wall of exhaustion causing sleep to invade and conquer my tired body. It happened later in the afternoon and lingered silently in place for the next few days. I prepared myself for the day and went down to the lobby of the hotel for breakfast. I was enjoying the morning meal when Matthew Robinson came up and sat next to me. I brought him a much wanted I-Pod Touch Generation 5 (not available yet in Cambodia) and he was anxious to get possession. We exchanged some small talk and then he unloaded some very bad news. He is a very good humanitarian and tries to help people in need. He found a homeless family just around the corner from the hotel. He provided housing and education for their brightest son. Education is free in Cambodia but teachers charge students to take exams. Matthew has provided not only the funds for housing for the family but also for the education of their son. The day before, as I was flying to Cambodia, the young boy was swimming in the Mekong River two blocks away. The current is swift with tons of trash, limbs, trees and who knows what rushes down stream. Somehow, the boys swimming got caught up in the rubble. Two of them were able to swim to safety but the young boy, Matthew's charge, was swept downstream. This morning the family was out looking for his body. How dreadful for the family searching with such heavy hearts for the remains of their son.
Later that afternoon, Matthew informed me that they located their son's body five miles down stream and the next day would be his cremation and funeral service. Being Buddhist, cremation is part of their religious ceremony in caring for the dead. The next day Matthew would attend the memorial service for the boy. Matthew wanted to know the meaning of the phrase "man is given three score and ten". He had heard it was a famous saying about the length of life but was unsure of the source. I told him that it was taken from the King James Bible. We talked about the meaning of life and how brief it could be. None of us knows the length of our days or if we will live to see the sun rise in the morning.
The length of man's life is "seventy years or even by strength eighty" was written by Moses in Psalm 90. Moses compares the length and days of God's existence compared to that of mere man. God is from everlasting to everlasting and man lasts only as long as God allows because his wrath will ultimately end a person's life. At best the length of a persons life is only the length of a sigh when compared to God and eternity. The conclusion that Moses makes is that man needs to consider the power of God's anger and His wrath so that we will learn to fear The Lord and number our days. (Psalm 90: 10-12) When we understand that our days are numbered whether we have one, ten, twenty, seventy or even a hundred year it is not long all in light of eternity and the eternal God. We need to make the most of our days, especially today, to know God and learn wisdom from Him.
"In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you."
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
2 Corinthians 6:2
We only have today to believe in The Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and Lord. You and I have no guarantee of having another day to put faith and trust in the finished work Christ. Today is our opportunity we cannot trust in a tomorrow to believe. Make the most of your time and trust God today!
Amen
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