Personal Reflection

Psalm 118:24, "This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." (NIV)

I have been asked to share the sermon/eulogy this week of a man who passed away in his early fifties.  He has been facing a battle with cancer and has fought that battle very bravely from my point of view.  The death of an individual always causes us to reflect on our life.  We all recognize the brevity of life.  The Bible teaches that our life is as a vapor that is here for a while and then it vanishes away.  We often think of this passage when someone passes away and we reflect on how young they were when they passed.  The death of a family member or friend brings to each of us a reality check concerning our own humanity.  We actually can be here today and gone tomorrow.  I do not mean for this comment to sound cold or morbid; I just believe that we need to examine our lives and appreciate the time that God has given to us.  After all, God knows the end of our life from the very beginning.  He told Jeremiah that He knew him even when he was in his mother's womb.  We do not know how many days God may give to us but we need to cherish each and everyone of them. 

I felt the Spirit encourage me to take a moment for some personal inventory concerning the "day" in which I am living.  What will I do with this day that God has given to me?  Will I live in anticipation of another "day" and because of that I will not squeeze life out of this day?  Is it possible that we can become trapped in waiting on a "better day" that we fail to rejoice in the one that God has given to us?  I am not desiring for these comments to sound harsh or judgmental.  I just sense the unction of the Spirit causing me to look deep into my heart concerning my approach to life.  Is it possible that we can become so captured through the mental activity of waiting on tomorrow that we never take the time to enjoy today?  I truly believe in living with hope and expectation for the opportunities of my tomorrow but not at the expense of missing the blessings and opportunities of today.  I live with dreams, visions, hopes, plans, and expectations but I also live with the reality that I do not know the number of tomorrows that I am promised.  My tomorrows are in the Hands of God but He has given me another day and I want to live life to the fullest measure that I can.  I do not want to miss what God has planned for me to experience today.  Today is full of endless possibilities; take a moment and fully receive into your life those things that God has planned to reveal.  Tell your family that you love them.  Tell your friends that their friendship is a source of strength and encouragement to you.  Yes, dream and plan about tomorrow but enjoy the day that God has given to you.  I plan on applying that principle to my life throughout this day.