SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                           1042

“Today”

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

Sometimes we need a reminder – a gentle nudge in the spirit to correct our thinking or course of action. This devotional is the Lord’s nudge for me. I first wrote on this topic seven years ago and I am prompted to reissue the exhortation again today. …exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,”… (Hebrews 3:13)

I was given pause the other day as I clicked on the ‘TODAY’ button on my online calendar planning tool. If your planner is similar to mine you have appointments and schedules ‘penciled’ in for weeks and months in advance. But it is the imperative nature of ‘today’ that needs to be addressed since today is what we have and we are not promised tomorrow. Just ask the people victimized by the fires currently burning in the western United States how quickly their tomorrow schedules can be re-written. Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. – James 4:13

Did your today begin in prayer and fellowship with God? Are you seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness each day – or are you preoccupied with your worldly events scheduled for the day and beyond? Every ‘Today’ that the Lord gives us is a gift from Him. Every ‘Today’ should begin with worship, prayer, thanksgiving, and rejoicing in His presence. This equips you with the full armor of God to defeat the enemy’s attack that is sure to come. It fills you with the peace and joy of His abiding presence. Time with God at the start of each today takes the dread of the day away.

Did the Lord speak to your heart at the start of today about something you need to correct?  Perhaps you have acted out in anger and the Lord has prompted you to seek forgiveness and repair a relationship with your spouse, friend, family member or neighbor. Today is the time to obey His prompting. Do not allow the root of bitterness to take hold. You may not have a tomorrow to reconcile a relationship in obedience to God. You only have today. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts; …do not let the sun go down on your anger. (Hebrews 3:7; Ephesians 4:26)

Have you withheld or delayed payment due to someone or denied someone help when the Lord prompted you to give of yourself or out of your need? The Lord will speak to your heart about these things that hinder your close walk with Him. Today is the time to act in obedience. Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you. (Proverbs 3:28)

Are you worried about the future? Do current global events keep your anxiety level high? We grow in faith and trust by spending time with God. Don’t relegate your relationship with God to nothing more than an occasional weekend religious event. Trust dispels worry and brings peace in the midst of the storm. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)

May you make the most of every ‘Today’ rejoicing in the power and presence of our Lord, Jesus.