When I was in Bible College, right after high school, a friend gave me a card of an outdoor scene and Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” I posted it in my dorm room and kept it out on display for many years afterwards. It is a reminder to find joy in the present day. Although the Lord gives us many blessings, life is tough. It is full of ups and downs. Some days are wonderful, some are terrible, but most are in-between. Some days, I cannot wait to jump up and start on the good things planned; other days, it is difficult just to climb out of bed (or stay in it when unable to move) and face what lies ahead. No matter what kind of day it is, I find peace and joy in the Lord. Often, I talk to Him when I first wake up, before I even get out of bed. I thank Him for the day and ask His help and guidance in it.
Every day is a gift from God. None of us knows for certain what will transpire on this day or the next, but we can be assured that the God who made the day and who holds the universe together is not surprised or limited by anything. If we are His, He will take care of us. Each day we need to follow the advice that Jesus gave: “seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” Matthew 6:33-34 (KJV).
One of my many favorite hymns is “Day by Day.,” originally written in Swedish by Lina Sandell. The English translation by Andrew L. Skoog, you may know. It says, “Day by day, and with each passing moment, Strength I find to meet my trials here; Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment, I’ve no cause for worry or for fear. He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure, Gives unto each day what He deems best, Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest. Every day the Lord Himself is near me, With a special mercy for each hour; All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me, He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r. The protection of His child and treasure is a charge that on Himself He laid; ‘As thy days, they strength shall be in measure,’ This the pledge to me He made. Help me then, in every tribulation, So to trust Thy promises, O Lord, that I lose not faith’s sweet consolation, Offered me within thy holy Word. Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, E’er to take, as from a father’s hand, One by one, the days, the moments fleeting, Till with Christ the Lord I stand.” (In some versions, the last line is ‘Till I reach the promised land.’)
May this be a good day for you and may we all learn to do as my candle set says, “Learn from yesterday; Hope for tomorrow; Live for today.”