The Gift of Today (by Cathe Laurie)

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 ESV).

The Gift of Today

The older I get, the more I realize that things cannot be taken for granted. Time spent with loved ones. Quiet moments on the beach, walking in the sunshine. Uninterrupted heart-to-heart conversations. Still mornings in Bible study.

When you’re a teenager, life feels infinite. There’s plenty of time to do and be anything you want. There’s plenty of time to push off important conversations and tasks. The days spent doing nothing don’t seem to matter a bit. After all, you have forever!

Unfortunately, I don’t think it’s until we begin approaching our final days that we truly understand that each day is a precious gift, and every moment passes quicker than we anticipate. Suddenly, we look back on our lives and see just how much time we took for granted, thinking our lives would never end.

The Importance of Acknowledging Time

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12 ESV).

Here’s the truth that many of us don’t want to face: We don’t know how many days we have left. And as Psalm 90:12 reminds us, it is wise to number our days, to recognize that we don’t have forever.

Being Faithful to God by Making the Most of Each Day

As we realize our days are limited, each remaining day we have been given becomes more and more precious.

“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at that table, and he will come and serve them!” (Luke 12:35-37 ESV).

When your final day comes, will Jesus find you awake or sleeping? In other words, are you embracing each day as an opportunity to live fully for Him, or are you just meandering through life, assuming you’ll pursue your faith and all that God has for you more seriously someday?

We Need to Start Today, Not Tomorrow

My friends, hear me loud and clear: We are not promised tomorrow!

God calls us to be faithful today (and every day) because we don’t know when He is coming or when He will call us home! If you are alive today, He has a purpose for you. He has a plan for you. And He is calling you to be faithful and live it out!

The Reward for Those Found Ready

And as verse 37 tells us, for those who are faithful, for those who are waiting, He will “dress himself for service and have them recline at that table, and he will come and serve them!”

He will serve us. The God of the universe will serve us! For those who live each day as the precious gift it is, anticipating when He will return or call us home, He will serve us! What an incredible Master He is!

I don’t know about you, but I want a seat at that table!

Don’t miss the gift of today because you’re relying on the promise of tomorrow. Embrace the time and the purpose God has for you, and seek to serve Him every day, knowing that your seat at the table is waiting.

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Cathe Laurie is the founder and director of the Virtue women’s ministry. She is also a featured speaker on The Virtue Podcast, at Harvest events, and the author of As I See It. You can find her weekly articles here on harvest.org.