“Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” — Colossians 4:5–6

Some time ago, I found myself stuck in a small Inuit (Eskimo) community in the Canadian Arctic, where the temperature was -56 degrees Celsius! Despite the blizzard, I showed up at the airport, desperately hoping that my flight would take me back to southern Canada. In the end, I remained on the ice with my brothers and sisters in the Great North.

What can one do in such a situation? Well, I chose to seek the Lord’s face so that He would give me clear direction for my life. During that time of isolation, the Lord revealed specific steps He wanted me to take. Glory to God!

On another occasion, I was in Eastern Canada, hoping to return to Calgary and go home. This time, my flight was delayed. What to do in such a discouraging situation? Well, I could have gotten frustrated, complained, or I could try to discern God’s opportunity in that moment. Since I chose the latter, God led me to talk with a fellow passenger. She shared with me that she had just received some terrible and devastating news.

Cancer had struck her, as well as her mother, and now she was consumed with fear and despair. Then I realized the reason for my flight delay. I was able to share the Gospel with her, speaking about God’s will concerning divine healing. She was so receptive and uplifted by my words that she thanked me wholeheartedly. Where Satan had intended to annoy me, Jesus had a plan for my growth and for the blessing of a suffering woman.

Today, I find myself in Paris at friends’ home, stuck once again. I thought I would fly to Quebec in the afternoon and be reunited with my family this evening, but God knew I would still be here for a while longer. You see, a small cloud… one that affected the entire European continent, kept me from leaving. This volcanic ash from Iceland impacted thousands of travelers all around the world. With thousands of flights canceled, suddenly, many people were surprised to find themselves with lots of free time. What to do in such times of waiting? Why not redeem the time for the Lord?

You know, sooner or later, your plans will be shaken. Life is full of surprises. What will you do with these unexpected gifts? Will we allow the enemy to steal our peace and joy in the moment? Will we waste our time, or choose to invest it for the Kingdom? Today, I want to encourage you to seize every moment you are given! We only have one life on this earth, so we must know how to savor it and make it count for eternity!

When we turn to Jesus, we discover that nothing surprises Him. So let us be aware that these “surprise moments” are actually gifts planned in His schedule, meant for us to taste and share His goodness…

This text is an excerpt from the book “365 DAYS AT THE MASTER’S FEET“ written by several French-speaking authors, the main one being Jérémy Sourdril.

We invite you to read the following article: “DO YOU KNOW HOW TO RECEIVE CRITICISM?”

REDEEMING THE TIME. REDEEMING THE TIME.