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About Jesus - Steve Sweetman When
I Die It was the summer of 1967, otherwise known as the Summer of Love. The Beatles had just released their "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album in June. Track number 9 on that album was "When I'm Sixty-Four." I was only 15 years old that summer and turning 64 never entered my mind. Little did I realize that the next 50 years of my life would fly by in a fleeting flash. I'm now 65 years old. That makes me a senior citizen here in Canada and a recipient of the Old Age Pension. Listening
to popular music was habitual for me in the 1960's.
"Windy" by the Association was a huge hit in the summer
of 67. Scott McKenzie's flower
power song entitled " There
is another song I've been listening to lately.
"In The Time That You Gave Me" was originally recorded,
but never released, by Joey Feek, of "Joey and Rory" Christian
country music fame. Joey passed away
at the age of 40 in February 2016. The
song was released later in 2016 by Joey's friend Bradley Walker on his
"Call Me Old-Fashioned" CD.
No, as much as you'd like to think, that title doesn't refer to me.
Joey's husband Rory produced this song.
He took Joey's recording, removed her voice from part of it and
dubbed in Bradley's voice, making it a duet by Joey and Bradley.
Here are a few lines from the song.
"In
the time that you gave me Did
I give all that I could give? Did
I love all I could love? Did
I do all I could do in the time that you gave me? As
the hour glass empties, No
it won't even phase me If
I did all I could do in the time that you gave me." Joey's
desire in life to serve Jesus was cut short by cancer, making this song
eternally significant for her. Unlike
Joey who had little time to serve Jesus, many of us have had decades to
serve Him in the time He has given us, but have we?
If
by chance the Apostle Paul liked country music, and why wouldn't he have,
he would have loved this song. He
was keenly aware that his time on earth was limited.
He knew he would stand before Jesus some day and give account of
all he had done in the time he was given.
His works of service for Jesus would be tested by the fire of God
(1 Corinthians 3:10 - 13). Only
his service performed in accordance with God's will would survive the
fire. Paul's desire was to
stand before Jesus on that day knowing he had fought the fight, finished
the race, and had kept the faith (1 Timothy 4:4). I
think of these things. Most of
my life is just a memory in my mind. I
have fewer years ahead of me compared to those behind me.
I have no guarantees of my future, but this is certain - I will die. I will
stand before Jesus and give account, not of my sin, but of what I have
done with the time He has given me. For
this reason Bradley Walker's song has become meaningful to me.
"When
I'm Sixty-Four" by the Beatles is a bouncy little ditty.
In part, it expresses the desires of many approaching retirement
who envision vacations, hobbies, relaxation, or doing what they never got
to do in earlier years. As
Christians, however, you and I might want to approach retirement by
asking, "Will I do all I can do for Jesus in the time He will give
me?" Will my service for
Jesus survive the fire? Will I
even have any service to be tested? The
more I think on these things the more I fix my eyes on what cannot be seen
because "What is seen is temporary and what is unseen is
eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). I'm not really looking for a treasure box full of rewards in the next life. I just want to please Jesus in this life. So, if you feel like me, "Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1).
Click
this link to hear
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