Romans 13

"Take care, brothers, that none of you may have an evil and unfaithful heart, so as to forsake the living God. Encourage yourselves daily while it is still 'today,' so that none of you may grow hardened by the deceit of sin. We have become partners of Christ if only we hold the beginning of the reality firm until the end, for it is said: 'Oh, that today you would hear his voice: Harden not your hearts as at the rebellion.' Who were those who rebelled when they heard? Was it not all those who came out of Egypt under Moses? With whom was he 'provoked for forty years'? Was it not those who had sinned, whose corpses fell in the desert? And to whom did he 'swear that they should not enter into his rest', if not to those who were disobedient?" (Hebrews 3:12-18)

Now Is The Time

All persons are called to obey
Those whom the Lord placed over them;
The rebel causes disarray --
Conduct which the Lord will condemn.

Do what is good and they'll approve;
Pay what is owed to whom it's due;
Owe nothing to no one, but love --
Love fulfills all we're called to do.

Now is the time to rouse from sleep,
For salvation is drawing near.
The night has passed; the new dawn sweeps
Away the works of doubt and fear.

Put on pristine armor of light:
In conduct proper to the day,
Let evil be left with the night -
In all good works, do not delay!

Keep no provisions for desires;
Put on the Lord and douse your fires.


May the Spirit grant us the grace to accept our lowly place as deigned by the Lord, with humble gratitude, so that obedience will come more easily to our instinctively rebellious hearts.

(c) Paul Buis, 2005