There was evening, and there was morning -- the first day. Genesis 1:5
What shall I plan for today that I might fit it into the overall plan for my life? Or will I just take today and "play it by ear?" Planning the day can make for structured living. "Playing it by ear" can make for sloppy living. There is danger in both.
If we plan our day, we should never be so rigid that we become inflexible. Each day has its own surprises, and we must be ready for them because today's surprises are today's opportunities. They must be claimed for they may come our way only once. In keeping the goal of life before us, we must be open-ended enough to make an occasional detour to fill some special need. After all, we are in this world to serve, not to be served.
"Playing it by ear" can be risky and make life so loose that it has no direction or purpose. We need something to make life hang together and give it direction.
The apostle Paul wrote, "For to me, to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). He said this because Christ had lived and died for him. When, by God's grace, Christ is our goal, we will find that our plans are God's plans.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, help me to be open to opportunities for service and love to others because of Your love to for me. 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 133-135 1 Corinthians 2
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