Memory verse: "When I passed by you again and looked upon you, Indeed your time was the time of love, so I spread My wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you and you became Mine,” says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 16 vs 8.)

READ: Hebrews 13 vs 1 - 3:

13:1: Let brotherly love continue.

13:2: Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

13:3: Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

INTIMATION:

Your love is best expressed in your time. A time of love is very precious, even to the Lord. In our memory verse, when the Lord observed Jerusalem and saw their time of love, He pitied the people and entered into a covenant with them to be their God and the people His. The importance of things can be measured by how much time we are willing to invest in them. If you love someone or something, you obviously spend more time thinking and relishing it. The more time you give to something or someone, the more you reveal its importance and value to you, and your love for it. Your priorities are usually expressed in your time allocation. 

Time is your most precious gift because you only have a set amount of it. Time lost is irredeemable. You can make more money, but you can't make more time. Therefore, when you give someone your time, or allocate more of your time to something, you are giving them a portion of your most precious gift, a portion of you life that you'll never get back. Your time is your life. 

Love is expressed in action, not just word. Action requires time. It is not enough just to say something or relationships are important; we must prove it in action by investing our time. Words alone are worthless. The Scripture, in First John 3 vs 18, says, "My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth." How clearly do your actions say you really love others? Are you as generous as you should be with your money, possessions, and time?

In the parable of the Final Judgement in Matthew 25, Jesus said, “For I was hungry you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.” (Matthew 25 vs 35 - 36.) The parable describes acts of mercy we all can do every day and require our most precious gift—our time. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence, they are simple acts freely given and freely received. Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for others’ needs. Those who did not do these things will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Make sure that your love runs deep enough to affect your hospitality, empathy, fidelity, and contentment. And all these require your time!

Real love for others produces tangible actions. Some people say they cannot be hospitable because their homes are not large enough or nice enough. But even if you have no more than a table and two chairs in a rented room, there are people who would be grateful to spend time in your home. Are there visitors to your church with whom you could share a meal? Do you know single people who would enjoy an evening of conversation? Is there any way your home could meet the needs of traveling missionaries? Hospitality simply means making other people feel comfortable and at home.

The essence of love is not in what we think or do or provide for others, but in how much you give of yourselves. Men, in particular, often don't understand this. Many think that when they have provided the needs of their family, they have done it all. You will hear comments from men like; "I don't understand my wife and kids. I provide everything they need. What more could they want?" They want you! They want your most precious gift—your time. Nothing can take the place of that. The most desired gift of love is not diamonds or roses or chocolate. It is focused attention. 

Whenever you give your time, you are making a sacrifice, and sacrifice is the essence of love. The Scripture, in Ephesians 5 vs 2, gives us a model of this by Jesus Christ, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling aroma." Just as children imitate parents, we should imitate Jesus. His great love for us led Him to sacrifice Himself so that we might live eternally. Our love for others should be of the same kind—a love that goes beyond affection to self-sacrificing service, offering your best—your time.

God created you to worship and serve Him. This requires the best of you—your time. How then do you give God your time? Most people will wake up in the morning, and are in a hurry to rush out into their daily pursuit without making out time for the Lord, to worship Him which is the reason we are created. Even when some worship, they don't give quality time to the Lord. It is most unreasonable! Their daily pursuit will take better of their time than their Creator and Owner of all things, including the things they are rushing after. For some, there is no time to worship in the night, it is for their rest. Some don't have time to read the Bible talk more of meditating on the Word, forgetting that the Lord said, only in doing so that you prosper and have good success. (See Joshua 1 vs 8; Psalm 1 vs 2 - 3.)

Many people believe that their offering in church, and meetings are enough sacrifice. Do not be deceived, offering or sacrifices not made out of love profits you nothing. You can give without loving, but you can't love without giving. The Scripture, in John 3 vs 16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave...." Remember God owns all things, and has only put some in your care. If you are bringing back what He gave you without a show of your love to Him, you are a time waster. Love means giving up; yielding my preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy, or most especially your time for the benefit of someone else.