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Friends, greetings in Jesus Name! Today I will be sharing with you what I title, “Understanding Times and Seasons of Life”. Let me begin by saying that there are certain things you can only do better now than waiting till tomorrow. Doing it now would mean achieving greater and better results. But doing it later would mean getting a lesser or no result. You see, your contemporary who is way ahead of you in life is not smarter than you, it’s just that he is doing early what you are doing late. The question remains: What are you doing late that others are doing early? I met a man in his sixties, lamenting over lost opportunities he knows he cannot recover. He wished he could turn the clock back so he could correct his earlier mistakes in life. That’s why when I see most of our youths today indulging in frivolous lifestyles, I shake my head. Many of them are mentally empty. They do not know what they possess, so they can harness their enormous energy to do the right things. I was counselling a young man some time ago and I told him: “Listen, if I had someone sharing with me what I am pouring out to you right now, I don’t think I would have encountered some of the unnecessary delays and bottlenecks I faced earlier in life.” Really, I made some mistakes that I shouldn’t have made. But thank God I was able to correct them and moved on. Unfortunately, many squander opportunities to amend their errors. At the time they realize what is happening, it’s too late to make adjustments. I pray that will not be your portion in Jesus Name.

Now, the greatest asset that a man has here on earth is Time. “While the earth remains, seed time and harvest shall not cease” (Genesis 8:22). One major thing you must get from this scripture is that there is timing for everything. The time allotted to you by God here on earth is the embodiment of all you can achieve or accomplish. Missing the timing for planting cocoyam would mean waiting for another season or time to plant. “For everything there is a time and season” (Eccl. 3:1). Unfortunately, many people miss their timing and season of life. We all have an equal time of 24hours in a day. What you do with it determines the outcome you get in life. Apostle John wrote, “I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one” (1John 2:14). Why? Like Proverbs 20:29 rightly stated, “The glory of young men is their strength, and the honour of old men is their grey hairs.” From the above scripture, we can see that young people are characterized by their display of strength. Old people are not associated with physical strength. Young people are fresh and strong.

When I was in primary school, I represented my school in track and field events. Along with my team members, our sport teacher will take us to other primary schools within and outside my village during their inter-house sport event. I was quite good in the relay race. Usually, I am the last to hand over the baton to run to the finish line. Not long ago, I attended my children’s inter-house sport event, and there was a slot for parents to compete in a 100m dash race. In my usual self, I jumped out thinking I could replicate what I did while in primary school. Really, I got a shock to my bone when I fell off on the way. I was breathing like a chicken being chased by a hawk. The 100m race that I used to run in those days, was like running the entire 3rd Mainland Bridge in Lagos. What happened? I am older now, no longer a child. Listen, the greatest gift you have is the gift of Time to accomplish God’s purpose and plan for your life. Psalm 90:12 says, “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” What you do with your time will determine how and where you will end tomorrow. Jesus said “I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day; the night comes, when no man can work” (John 9:4). Like a joke half of this year is gone, and we’re about entering the month of August. Soon the year 2024 will be over, and some of us will be singing Happy New Year to a brand-new start of old habits that keep holding them down to a spot.

I was listening to a preacher some time ago and he said, “Time is a striker; strike it before it strikes you. The fact is, if you allow time to strike you like a bullet, you will wake up realizing that it’s too late to achieve any meaningful thing in life. That singular thought of incapacitation is a killer force. Why? It paralyses your power of creative ingenuity to initiative ideas to execute. Really, you may be youthful now and have all the time in the world, not understanding what I am talking about until you get to a certain stage in life where you’re forced and compelled to understand by yourself without anyone talking to you. By then it may be too late, except the grace of God sets in to deliver or rescue you. God doesn’t want any of us to look back in regrets. No! We are to look back in thanksgiving for all the Lord has used us to accomplish in time past. According to Benjamin Locke, “Lost time is never found”. Meaning, you must take your time seriously, so you can achieve meaningful things in life. The Psalmist puts it this way, “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Listen, ignorance is a disease. God does not want us to perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Unfortunately, many today have gone into captivity for lack of knowledge (Isaiah 5:13).

As I round off this message, Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” You may have made some mistakes in the past, but like Paul, be determined to stay focused because there’s hope for recovery of lost time and opportunity. We serve a God of total restoration. You know, the restorative justice of God can be so powerful and mind-blowing. The enemy may have made a mess of your life. But God is saying right Now, I AM HERE for You. The word “Now” means at this present time or moment. When God says he is here for you, it doesn’t matter any contrary force or wind blowing against you, it will cease and fizzle out (Mark 4:35-41). Now, the Lord is saying to you, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame” (Joel 2:25-26). Hallelujah! Like Apostle Paul, choose never to focus on your past blunders or mistakes, because it will only hold you down from reaching forth to what is ahead of you. Therefore, dust yourself up, push hard and work smart, and you will get to your destination. I pray in the Mighty Name of Jesus that every lost time and opportunity in your life is recovered Now in Jesus Name. May the good Lord grant you an unusual and uncommon speed of acceleration to catch up and recover all in Jesus Name. Have a Blessed and Fantastic Week. With love, Elvis!