'Best if used by' and expiration dates

While traveling back from Albuquerque recently and knowing we’d get home in time for supper for a change, I asked the family whether we should stop along the way or pick something up for supper in Tucumcari.

The teenage grandson immediately said he was hungry, which is his typical response, even shortly after lunch. So, we opened the package of beef jerky we keep in the car for such purposes.

After finishing the package, I noticed my wife reading the label and asked, “What does it say, ‘Best if used by yesterday’?” After a momentary pause, she burst into laughter. Upon collecting her composure, I asked, “What?” to which she read, “Best by 3/21/2024,” the day before. After laughing myself, I realized the situation that might help us in living for today.

First, although there’s no expiration date for God’s word, which is eternal, there is a “best if used by” date, which is today, because tomorrow may never come (1 Peter 2:23-25; James 4:13-17; 2 Corinthians 6:1-2). We’re assured that, while God is patient, wanting everyone to be saved, he also has set the expiration date on our opportunity for repentance (2 Peter 3:8-9; Acts 17:26-31). We have these assurances because, unlike food that eventually spoils, God doesn’t change (Hebrews 6:13-20; 13:8; 7:20-21; Romans 11:29).

Although God’s word doesn’t change, it’s still living and active so, with each reading, we can gain new insights into his love for us and his will for how we should respond to that love (Hebrews 4:12; Isaiah 55:10-11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; John 3:16; Lamentations 3:22-23). I’m not anything like a Biblical scholar, but perhaps having studied God’s word myself over the years has enabled me to see his mercies and relate occurrences, such as the one introducing this article, to the constant demonstrations of his love.

To grow and experience the great things God has in store for us, we must feed on God’s word regularly (e.g., daily) (1 Peter 2:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:2; Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:1-3). This growth cannot occur without God’s indwelling Spirit, who helps us understand his word as his children, which is a spiritual blessing that begins with forgiveness and helps us live to please him, leading others to him by bearing good fruit and being strengthened to patiently wait for the best ever day of Jesus’ return (1 Corinthians 2:9-16; Acts 2:38-39; Galatians 3:26-4:7; Ephesians 1:3-8; Colossians 1:9-14).

Daily feeding on God’s word helps us replace evil thoughts and actions caused by evil intake with good thoughts and actions induced by good intake (Matthew 7:16-20; 12:33-35, 43-45; 15:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:20-22).

The danger of not increasing our faith and goodness by increasing our knowledge is in losing our faith altogether and totally spoiling our salvation (2 Peter 1:3-11; 2:20-22; Hebrews 3:7-19).

We only have each individual day as it comes along to take in the word and be shielded by our faith to prevent spoilage of our salvation (1 Peter 1:3-9). Have you made the best of today?

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].