There’s so much excitement about new beginnings. Our family had two wonderful new beginnings this year. Our fourth and fifth great grandchild, Lily Jane D’Spain, and Micah Lucas Ellerman were born in the latter part of 2024. What a rich blessing. As we look to the new year, some of us will have mixed emotions, but God evidently had a plan. Every 365 days, we get a ‘do over’ so to speak. I love the attitude of our grandson, Will, born with Down Syndrome, and a positive attitude. He’ll tell you; “this is going to be my best year ever”.
As a believer, I think the Scriptures teach us that every day is a new beginning, and we should treat it that way. Each day starts with dawn. In the Bible, dawn represents hope, renewal, and the beginning of a new day. It symbolizes God’s faithfulness, with his mercies being new every morning. He brings light out of darkness for a fresh new day, even into the areas of our life where there is darkness. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psa. 119.24). What the scripture is saying is this… ‘God, I trust you with this day and all the things that you want to accomplish in and through me and that you will provide my every need’.
The Lord’s prayer is so evident of this mindset. “Give us this day, our daily bread”. Not, give us our weekly, monthly or yearly bread. This is backed up by Lamentations 3.22,23. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”. Many of you know this, but several decades ago I was struggling with this issue. How to live one day at a time in light of the past and the future issues. Then, as God would have it, he honored my research and my prayer. It altered my mindset, and yes, my walk with him. “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6.33,34).
Do you see this? TODAY!!! That is the precious time of 24 hours he has given us by grace. It is not to say that we don’t deal with some of the past issues that need redemption, or make plans for the future. But what it does mean is…don’t let that rob you of the precious gift of ‘today’. Hebrews puts it so well. “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end” (Heb. 3.13,14). In other words, we live Today in light of That Day! The day we meet the Lord face to face.
With all the temptations and trials that we face, it requires discipline to live one day at a time. This has been helpful to me, and I hope it is to you. Everyone is familiar with a box of envelopes. Some have a 500, while some have 1000. Our life, or number of days, it’s like this box of envelopes. Each day we open the box and we pull out the envelope marked ‘today’. Yesterday’s envelope has already been discarded. The remainder of the envelopes which represent the future days are left in the box. When you open today’s envelope, you will find every resource you need for that day, whatever that might be. That is God’s assurance. It’s truly remarkable, the joy that accompanies this daily walk.