What We Could Have Done

In the book of Deuteronomy in chapter 32, we have the account of Moses standing on top of Mount Nebo as he is beholding the land of Canaan in the distance. That's as close as he can get to it. As God tells Moses, he shall not go into the land.

The whole ball of wax, friends, is summed up in verse 51. Because ye trespassed against me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin, because ye sanctified me not in the midst of the children of Israel. Here in this striking passage of scripture, we see that God is revealing to Moses that he is a record-keeping God.

He keeps close accounts and detailed records of all we've done against him and all we should have done for him. God has two grievances against Moses, one for a sin of commission. Moses struck the rock when he knew better.

And Moses did not honor God in the eyes of the people by obeying God. In the book of Isaiah, we read, all we like sheep have gone astray. Each one has turned to his own way.

Listen, friends, sin is going our way when we know it isn't God's way. And sin is not going God's way when we know we should be going that way. I have some painful memories.

When I was a teenager, my mother had a friend we went to go visit. And my mother asked me to bring along my guitar to play because this woman enjoyed music. Well, we had a nice afternoon that day.

But the next year, this same woman was dying of cancer. And she asked my mother if I could come by and play my guitar for her as music seemed to take her mind off her pain. And when my mother asked me to go visit her dying friend, I said no.

I didn't want to go be with an old, sick woman. Instead, I went and hung out with my friends. I never saw that woman again.

She died shortly after that. But the memory of that occasion has never died in me. I still feel bad about it.

And it's been 50 years. I've spent some time lately reflecting on my life in regard to the things I've left undone, things I could have done, and things I should have done for Christ and the gospel. But they were things I did not do.

Oh, I had my excuses at the time. I think of all those times I could have handed out more gospel tracts, and I didn't. I think of all those times I should have been on my knees in uncessary prayer.

And instead, I was out on some golf course. I was playing way too much golf. And God finally had to convict me of that by telling me what golf stood for from His perspective in my life.

G-O-L-F, golden opportunities lost forever. I look back on all those golden opportunities lost forever, and I hang my head in shame. All those people I should have witnessed to, and I did not.

In 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, we see the judgment seat of Christ for believers. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now, if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. When I stand at the beam of seat of Christ and face my Savior, I want my life to reflect the gold, silver, and precious stones of a life lived on the full stretch for God, but the hard part will be the wood, hay, and stubble of the wasted things I could have done and didn't do for God.

What a tragedy it'll be when I have to bend over and scoop up those ashes of the wasted things and place them in His nail-pierced hands. Oh, friends, I know while I'm still in this world I'm gonna do all I can for God in eternity with what's left of my life, with what I have and what God has given me, but I still feel bad for all the lost opportunities. Let me ask you, friend, to go back in your own mind's memory of time and reflect on the things you know you could have done for God and did not.

What are those lost opportunities in your own life, friend? Who is that, you know, who still needs to share the gospel with? What can we do to make the most of all the opportunities before us? Perhaps while we are still in this world, we can make the most of those opportunities with the remaining fragments of time of the life God has given us.