FEW

            Sometimes on Facebook people, who seemingly have nothing better to occupy their minds, will post a picture of an unusual thing or item along with the words, “Few people will know what this is.” It amounts to a test of your age and whether or not you remember the “good old days.” Most of these silly posts I view with amusement because I do know the item pictured. Sometimes, however, I am stumped as to what the thing is and could probably care less, if it were possible.

            “Few” is a relative term. How many are few? The preacher says that he wants to speak for only a few minutes. Yeah, right! His idea of “a few minutes” is not the same as yours. A few dollars are never enough. A few fire ant bites are a few too many!

            The scriptures have some interesting things to say about “few.” When Pharaoh asked Jacob about his age, he said, “The days of the years of my sojourning are 130 years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their sojourning.” Job characterized life as “of few days and full of trouble” (14:1). Solomon gave good council for all, when he said, “Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words” (Ecc. 5:2). The gate to life is narrow and “few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:14). As Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Lk. 10:2). Peter said that, “few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water” (1 Pet. 3:20). And, Jesus said to two congregations of Asia Minor, “I have a few things against you” (Rev. 2:14, 20).

            By way of application, of the many things we do in life we regret a few. Of the many brain cells we might use we use only a few. Of 168 hours in a week we devote a few to public worship and Bible study. Of the many who need to hear the gospel we reach a few. Of the many who respond we witness a few. Of the many who will be saved we know a few. Of the talents God has given us we use a few. Of the gifts we receive from him we return a few. Of the many good things we should do we do a few. Of the many different ways to preach the gospel we practice a few. Whatever time we might have left on this earth, it all boils down to our days being few. The point of this article may reach a few!