As we focus on the stewardship of our time Hebrews 9:27 offers this sober perspective, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, ...”

How can you make the most of your TIME? First, realize that you have a “divine appointment” with God. In other words, one day you too will die. And so the phrase, “it is appointed for men to die once” may also be translated: “everyone must die once.”

Why? Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And Romans 6:23 says, “... the wages of sin is death.” Everyone must die because everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard of perfection. We’ve all “missed the mark.”

What are some basic ideas associated with having an “appointment”? An appointment is usually set for a certain place and time. For example, “I’m going to meet you at church (place) at 9:30 in the morning” (time).

Now humanly speaking, when you and I have an appointment to meet someone at a certain place and a certain time, if we run into trouble, we can usually pick up the cell phone and call that person to either—“cancel” or “reschedule” the appointment. Well this “divine appointment” with God cannot be canceled or rescheduled. We didn’t make this appointment. God did. And He always keeps His appointments!

This reminds me of the following story.

There was a merchant in Bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions, and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling, and said, “Master, just now when I was in the marketplace I was jostled by a woman in the crowd and when I turned I saw it was Death that jostled me. She looked at me and made a threatening gesture; now, lend me your horse and I will ride away from the city to avoid my fate. I will go to Samarra and there Death will not find me.”

The merchant lent him his horse, and the servant mounted it, and he dug his spurs in its flanks and as fast as the horse could gallop he went. Then the merchant went down to the marketplace and he saw [Death] standing in the crowd and he came to [her] and said, “Why did you make a threatening gesture to my servant when you saw him this morning?”

“That was not a threatening gesture,” [Death replied], “it was only a start of surprise. I was astonished to see him in Bagdad, for I had an appointment with him tonight in Samarra!”

“You saw me before I was born,” writes David, “Everyday of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (Psalm 139:16, NLT).

Jessie J. Charpentier Sr. is pastor of Jenkins Memorial Baptist Church in St. Martinville.