This is the day the LORD has made. Psalm 118:24

The most difficult thing in life is to live in the present. Many of us diminish the joy of the present moment by regretting the mistakes of the past or by anticipating the troubles of the future. Hence the present moment, with its opportunities and responsibilities, escapes us.

In contrast to this, the word of the psalmist comes to us: “This is the day the LORD has made.” This is the day in which we are living. All the past days are gone forever; those to come have not yet arrived. So we live for this one.

This day is weighty. This day you must face your problems squarely; this day you seek to be a faithful spouse, a concerned parent, a conscientious employee, a true disciple of Christ. This day is weighty because God made it; He is in control of it.

What has God done to enable us to live not only in the present but also in His presence? In eternity God planned our salvation, ordaining that His Son be born, suffer, die, and rise again on set days to save us. Because there were such days, we are at peace with God today. Each day now comes as a precious gift of God, and we can rejoice in it.

PRAYER: Lord, help us see that this is the day of salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

(Devotions from “The Abundant Life” copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 109-110,138    John 16

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