I suppose there is some truth to that saying that "today is the first day of the rest of your life," but the focus of the Christian is narrower than that--and must be in order to be an eternal focus. Our Lord emphasizes over and over in His Word that we should view each day as the ONLY day of the rest of our lives. No one is promised a tomorrow regardless of their age or apparent health. No one. That does not mean that today will be an easy day without its deep challenges. We focus on today because it has all that we can handle--"each day has enough trouble of its own." But He promises that He will provide the strength that we need for this day and its troubles--and that our faith in Him can overcome the world's evil. Paul tells us that even when we feel as if we are flat on our faces in defeat that "we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us." It is only when we "take no thought for tomorrow" that we can "seek first the kingdom of God" today "and His righteousness" today.
So see today as He tells you to see it. It's the only one you've been promised. Yes, It will be difficult--"in the world you will have tribulation"--all you can handle. You may feel as if you have failed today. But you must not ever have a day when your number one priority is not to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." If you feel overwhelmed today, He says, "you are an overwhelming conqueror because of MY love for you--which makes all things work for good. And He has promised you the strength you need for this day--and it is a strength with which you can do all things that He calls you to do--this day. When we see this day as He sees it, when we live each day resting on His promises--relying on His strength, when the focus on this one day that He has given to us is to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and when we remember that at our worst moments this day He calls us "more than conquerors through His eternal love"--then, we can embrace this day for, as He tells us, "This is THE day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
So see today as He tells you to see it. It's the only one you've been promised. Yes, It will be difficult--"in the world you will have tribulation"--all you can handle. You may feel as if you have failed today. But you must not ever have a day when your number one priority is not to "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness." If you feel overwhelmed today, He says, "you are an overwhelming conqueror because of MY love for you--which makes all things work for good. And He has promised you the strength you need for this day--and it is a strength with which you can do all things that He calls you to do--this day. When we see this day as He sees it, when we live each day resting on His promises--relying on His strength, when the focus on this one day that He has given to us is to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and when we remember that at our worst moments this day He calls us "more than conquerors through His eternal love"--then, we can embrace this day for, as He tells us, "This is THE day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
"The joy of the Lord is your strength."
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