Live for Today

Be Strong, Be Well — Saturday, July 11

“This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

We are taught to live for today. Yes, we think about both the past and the future from time to time. But if we spend too much time in either direction, we can lose sight of now and making good use of today.

Someone has written, “Yesterday and tomorrow are faraway nothings -- the one a faint memory, the other a vague promise.” We might feel as though we tend to do that very thing. And when we do, we forget the day that's right in front of us.

There are times, calling for some reflection on what we’ve done—a review of the past. Some deep soul-searching is needed at times, forgiveness sought, and perhaps some retribution made. But once we’ve discovered the lesson to be learned, we need to set it aside and more forward.

“But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). No one can do anything properly, while concentrating on something else. Plus, by being drawn to look back, there can be things trying to pull us back into old habits and sins.

When we’re moving forward, we need to be careful how far we go and for how long. Yesterday we talked about keeping the hope of heaven alive in our hearts. How do we do that and not miss out on today's good things? If we’re spending a lot of time skipping over today while day-dreaming about tomorrow, we’ve missed out on so many things.

If we’re going to rejoice and be glad in this current day, there must be a balance. We must resolve the past, and look forward to our future in heaven, but concentrate on the preparation time God has given us today. With both our past forgiven, and our future secured, we can live in this present day as Jesus Christ intended—with rejoicing. —Chris