There is a chorus that I've been singing since I was a little girl called "This Is The Day." The chorus encourages us to rejoice and be glad in each day because the Lord has made it. Each day is a gift from God and being grateful for every day should be a given....but that's not what this post is about.
Recently, I've been reflecting on the significance of the present. It's really all we have. Think about it. Yesterday, no matter how good or bad, is gone. Tomorrow, no matter what we have planned, is not promised. So all we have is now.
If we read through the book of Hebrews, the writer exhorts us over and over and over again, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Today. Today. Today. The implication of that is that as good as your yesterday may have been, as closely as you may have walked with the Lord yesterday, there is still a need to be ever-diligent about our Christian walk today.
Suppose, for example, you decide to start a new diet and exercise plan in order to lose 10 lbs. On day one, you eat proper, healthy meals and engage in rigorous exercise. On day two, you do the same. On day three, you exercise less rigorously and cheat a little on the diet because you just had two great days. On day four, you skip the exercise altogether and eat fast food all day...after all you had two great days earlier in the week. And it continues like this for the rest of the month. Chances are, by the end of the month you've gained weight rather than lost.
Where did you go wrong? Your focus was on the success of the first two days.
So many times we deal with our spiritual life in the same way. We dwell on the successes and victories of the past and feel like those past victories relieve us of our obligation to walk in conformity with the Word today. In all honesty, I've fallen into this trap. There have been times where I neglected Bible reading or payer time because I had already done so much. I allowed myself to believe that my strong start was enough for me to coast on. Much to my chagrin, the writer of Hebrews in chapter 3 v. 14 and 15 stated:
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
In other words, even if the beginning was stellar, just like in the diet/exercise scenario, we must be ever-mindful lest we allow yesterday's successes to cause us to harden our hearts today.
Recently, I've been reflecting on the significance of the present. It's really all we have. Think about it. Yesterday, no matter how good or bad, is gone. Tomorrow, no matter what we have planned, is not promised. So all we have is now.
If we read through the book of Hebrews, the writer exhorts us over and over and over again, "Today, if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts." Today. Today. Today. The implication of that is that as good as your yesterday may have been, as closely as you may have walked with the Lord yesterday, there is still a need to be ever-diligent about our Christian walk today.
Suppose, for example, you decide to start a new diet and exercise plan in order to lose 10 lbs. On day one, you eat proper, healthy meals and engage in rigorous exercise. On day two, you do the same. On day three, you exercise less rigorously and cheat a little on the diet because you just had two great days. On day four, you skip the exercise altogether and eat fast food all day...after all you had two great days earlier in the week. And it continues like this for the rest of the month. Chances are, by the end of the month you've gained weight rather than lost.
Where did you go wrong? Your focus was on the success of the first two days.
So many times we deal with our spiritual life in the same way. We dwell on the successes and victories of the past and feel like those past victories relieve us of our obligation to walk in conformity with the Word today. In all honesty, I've fallen into this trap. There have been times where I neglected Bible reading or payer time because I had already done so much. I allowed myself to believe that my strong start was enough for me to coast on. Much to my chagrin, the writer of Hebrews in chapter 3 v. 14 and 15 stated:
For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
In other words, even if the beginning was stellar, just like in the diet/exercise scenario, we must be ever-mindful lest we allow yesterday's successes to cause us to harden our hearts today.
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