Today is November 2^nd, a day that part of the world will ‘fall back’ an hour in time, changing from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time.  While much has been written about the effects all this change can have on our bodies, the fact that we ‘fall back’ at 2am suggests we should receive an extra hour of sleep as the LORD births the new day, the 3^rd of November.  However, what if, rather than sleeping, rather than resting, rather than slumbering—WE WORKED “as long as it is day”?

Most people ‘turn back’ their clocks as they prepare for bed, realizing with giddiness that on this night, the sixty minutes of extra sleep is their’s to enjoy.  However, could we be persuaded, instead, to turn back our clocks today, while it is still day, and gain an extra hour, sixty minutes more, to do the work of our LORD?

Jesus Himself said to those who chose to follow Him—

“We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; . . .”

Then Jesus followed up his instruction with the reason why we must work while it remains day—

“night is coming when no one can work.”

In the Bible, there is interesting narrative in the Old Testament, one that shows the might and foresight of two strong women:  Deborah & Jael.  In reading and seeing their strength, it was intriguing to see how these women were able to do the LORD’S work—while it was still day & while Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army slumbered & slept.

See the people—

• The sons of Israel—disobeyed God, yet again.
• King Jabin of Canaan—the enemy of God’s people.
• Sisera—the commander of King Jabin’s army.
• Barak—the commander of Israel’s army.
• Deborah—the wife of Lappidoth, a prophetess & current judge of the sons of Israel.
• Jael—the wife of Heber, one who drove her tent peg through Sisera’s temple—while he slept!

See the action—

• The sons of Israel disobeyed the LORD & ensued God’s wrath.
• The LORD sold the sons of Israel to King Jabin, a Canaanite.
• The enemy military leader Sisera commanded 900 iron chariots & severely oppressed the sons of Israel for twenty long years.
• The prophetess Deborah judged under the palm tree in the hill country of Ephraim.
• The Israeli army commander Barak was commissioned & promised by Deborah that he would receive victory as he led his 10,000 troops against Sisera’s 900 iron chariots, but Barak feared going alone.

See the outcome of the action—

• Honor of the victory and of following the Lord in full obedience could have been Barak’s that day, but instead he was unwilling to obey the LORD’S leading.
• Heber, the husband of Jael, pitched his tent.
• The Canaanite Sisera came thundering with his 900 chariots.

See How Slumber Leads One to Death—

• Sisera sought to hide inside Jael’s tent.
• Sisera was covered by a rug and given a drink as he hid inside her tent.
• Sisera commanded Jael to stand watch in the tent’s opening.

Today—

• Could we be persuaded to not wait until tonight to turn back our clocks, but to turn back our clocks today, while it is still day?
• Could we gain an extra hour, sixty minutes more today, while it’s still light, to do the work of our LORD?

Inside our extra hour—today—we could do these things while it’s still day.

• Pray for sixty minutes more.
• Exercise as we walk with the Lord.
• Serve the Lord for sixty minutes more.
• Study God’s Word for sixty minutes more.
• Be the hands and feet of Jesus to another who has a need.
• Share our testimony with an unbeliever, testifying about our Savior Jesus for sixty minutes more.

Every waking moment is an opportunity to honor God.

Let us not sleep, LORD, for You have instructed us—

• Let us not wait until tonight to turn back our clocks.
• Let us turn back our clocks today, while it is still day.
• Let us not forget how some are asleep, slumbering, & not prepared for their eternal destination.

For the Bible tells us—