Prayer: Lord help me to make the most of this day. I thank you for all the opportunities You will give me this day to show Your love to others. Amen
Scripture: Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 NIV
On January 28th:
- 1986 – 25th Space Shuttle (51L)-Challenger 10 explodes 73 seconds after liftoff
- 1956 – Elvis Presley’s 1st TV appearance (Dorsey Brothers Stage Show)
- 1922 – American Pro Football Association renamed “National Football League”
- 1547 – 9-year-old Edward VI succeeds Henry VIII as king of England
Can you imagine a nine-year-old king? Are any of you old enough to remember where you were when the Shuttle Challenger exploded or Elvis and the commotion and changes he brought with his TV appearances? This is a very short list from a very long list of things that have happened on that specific date over the years. The long list included many births and deaths, political, religious, and art events. It listed beginnings and endings, discoveries and declarations.
Looking over the pages of events just for that one day made me think about the significance of every day of our lives. I wonder what people will be reading about years from now that will happen today, tomorrow, and next week. What is just beginning today? Will something be discovered or declared?
Winter months can bring on a bad case of the ho-hums. Any rest you may have caught up on over Christmas break is long gone, spring break seems too far away to start counting down, and for some of us, indoor recess quickly becomes another word for “insanity.” This is the time of year that this southern girl now living in the Rocky Mountains, begins counting down to summer – yes, summer!
Today’s verse and research was a good reminder to me to count every day and make every day count. I’ll take it a step further and use the quote, “Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present.”
Use whatever corny or sentimental saying you know; the bottom line is that life is short and full of uncertainties and we are instructed to make the most of every moment towards God’s wisdom and ways. Instead of watching and wishing for other days down the road, I need to be diligent and grateful with the day I have been given: this one.
The New Living Translations says, “Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. “ Make the most of this day and every day. Learn what is pleasing to God and apply it; do not wait. God’s Kingdom calendar has plenty of “to-dos” for today.
My prayer for you is that you would number your days and make the most of your time.
Copyright Kathy Branzell. To connect with the author, email info@christianeducators.org
