Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.”

In absence of the chapter and verse above we can use a search engine to discover that this quote has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. This is a tactic of convenience which is used in too many cases because it expresses a writer’s desire to make a point.

Every writer has a mission, a point to be made. If we look to scripture we find that the Word is God inspired. God breathed life into the Word. God breathed life into us.

Psalm 150:6 English Standard Version (ESV) Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

If we take this verse literally then every moment we spend in time should praise the Lord.

That is a tall order and from a human perspective impossible. The apostles that were the closest to our Lord fell asleep when asked to keep watch with Him in the garden. If those who knew and loved Him while He conducted His earthly ministry could not stay awake, what makes us think we can?

We are human and we waste time. Every minute we do not accomplish some obedience of faith that results in praising God might be considered a waste of time. Because He knows us and loves us and treats us with grace, we do not see what we do as a waste of time, especially if we do something for a living.

How much time do we spend reading God’s Word? Not much, some, plenty, or too much? If we are satisfied with our answer to that question, let us examine our motivation for what we study and why.

Teachers must study to prepare lesson plans, that is a given. Is that the only reason they study the Word, to serve? Pastors study the Word to prepare to feed the flock. Is that the only reason they study? Those are chosen professions and the answers might be clear for them. What about the rest of us?

Do we study to gain knowledge? To what end? Do we study the Word to find answers to questions? For what purpose? Do we study the Word to regulate our lives? How is that going?

Consider this for a moment. No one knows us better than the abiding presence of God. No one knows what we are capable of performing better than the abiding presence of God. No one knows the plans made for us better than the abiding presence of God.

His abiding presence is with every breath we take. We can run so hard that we are out of breath. That is when we stop praising God.