We got up this morning with plans for the day. We'll go to bed tonight aware of what we accomplished and what we didn't. But then, there's always tomorrow. We take that for granted.
But should we?
Our distracted, hectic lives have robbed us of the intrinsic value of each and every day; the awareness that all we ever really have is ONE DAY at a time. Nobody is promised tomorrow.
That should give us pause. Jesus said, 'Sufficient for the day are the cares thereof.' Matthew 6:34
He also taught us to pray: Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11
This day...the one that is in our hands right now; in our power to do with as we choose.
My mind wanders to days in the Scripture that were critical; days when everything changed for an individual, for a nation, for the world, for humanity at large.
The day that Gabriel visited a young girl in Nazareth...
The day the sun stood still for Joshua...
The day a shepherd boy named David killed a giant named Goliath...
The day Mordecai surrendered Esther to the palace of a pagan...
The day a Carpenter from Nazareth died on a Roman cross...
Each of these individuals were profoundly changed by what happened that day, but so was their nation, so were we all...throughout human history.
Yet I dare say that, except for Jesus, when the others woke up that morning they were unaware of how pivotal that new day would be in their lives.
It's no different for us. But there is a profound lesson in pondering the concept of ONE DAY.
Each new day is a gift from God. We haven't earned it; we don't deserve it. If we receive it, it is because the purpose for which He created us and sent us to this earth is not yet fully realized.
That should give us pause.
How shall I live this day so that when I go to bed tonight, I'm more like Jesus than I am right now?
How shall I think this day so that my thoughts align with His thinking?
How shall I speak so that my words today reflect His kindness and grace?
One day...today...
How will I make it count for eternity?