Psalm 118 Jan 30, 2006
The Past: Some of the moments that we look back to are good moments. They are the times when we saw the good sight, did the good deed, rejoiced in another, or felt the thrill of success. Yet, there are other moments. These memories form the dark cloud of our silver lining. They are the times when death came in and there was nothing we could do. They are the times of sorrow, rejection, regret, and mourning. And, more often than we would like to admit, the evil of those moments was our doing. We were the guilty party. We were the one who did wrong. The past is full of remembering and full of remorse.
The Future: When we arenft thinking about what has gone on before today, we are often consumed with thoughts of tomorrow. The mystery that lies before us is even more powerful and awe inspiring than the things that have already passed. History may be full of regret, but it is done with. The mistakes of the past are irrevocable. They cannot be undone. But, the opportunities of the future, for good and for ill, often intimidate us even more. They are the unknown paths and choices. They are unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unreliable. We hope that good times will come, but we cannot be sure. And, even as it can be hard to look for good times ahead, it is always easy to imagine the worst. Anxiety and worry consume our thoughts and we spend our lives in a tomorrow that never comes. The future is full of intrigue and full of anxiousness.
The Present: Surprisingly, this is often the most neglected part of time, yet it is the place we always are. We consume our lives with regrets and plans, and forget to live in the here and now. Yet, this moment, today, the now that we are in, is the most important moment of all. The present is where life happens. It is what goes on when wefre trying to cover up the past, or anticipate the future, neither of which is a task that we can really do. Jesus said, gYou shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.h (John 8:32) The truth is this: today is where life meets eternity. Now is the moment that is most like forever. The present is where life happens. This is the day.
Hebrews 12:1-3 says: gTherefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow wear and lose heart.h
This passage tells us many things: It tells us that we are never alone. We are surrounded in the faith by those who have already died. They have gone on before us, leaving the bondage of time, and are now witnesses to our struggle and endurance. It shows us that the key to Christfs living in a difficult present was an eternal perspective. It provides hope and a reminder that all of these things, these worries and regrets, will pass away, because eternity with God is a place of joy. And, it challenges us to strive for the abundant life that Jesus paved the way for us to have.
If that isnft enough to amaze your mind, Ephesians 2:6 tells us that God has already seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. It is accomplished. We are, in some way that we cannot here comprehend, already in eternity with our heavenly Father, because Forever isnft what most of us think that it is.
But, you might say, I donft like the idea of eternity being in this moment. I donft want forever to be a today with no end. I donft want heaven to be like the present. Today is hard. Today is full of the worries of the future and the shadows of the past. If you knew my life, my story, youfd know that an everlasting Today is not good news. My life is hard. My life is toil. My life is boring.
Well friends, eternity will not be hard. It will not be toil. It will not be boring. It will be the way that today is supposed to be. It will not be full of the past and the future. And, it wonft be playing bridge and dominoes game after game after game, like I feared it might be as a child. There will be no more regret. The mistakes of the past will be completely finished. There will be no more anxiety. We wonft spend our moments looking ahead. We will be at peace with the Lord. Rest assured.
Now, if there is a problem with using the present as an example of eternity, then the problem is not that eternity is too much like today. The problem is that our Todayfs arenft enough like Eternity. Forever is a place where you just are. Itfs real. Itfs true. It isnft a place of covering up or waiting for the next exciting thing.
Perhaps you are like me. Sometimes I think that I spend all of my time waiting for the next real thing. Ifm living high moment to high moment, in anticipation of significance. Ifm hoping for change, wanting more resolution, seeking deeper answers.
Sometimes I spend hours and hours making plans and thinking about what the future might or might not hold. Why do I do that?
Or, you may be different than that. You may live life with your head down, ashamed, alone, and hoping that no one will ever find out about what you did last night. Is that you? Is that how you see yourself? Are you living in the past, and just trudging through the day until enough time has passed, and you might be able to look your friends in the eye again without feeling deceptive? Perhaps you are stuck in yesterday rather than in tomorrow.
But, these are not an eternal mindset. These are not the place of abundant life, because both of them miss the point. Life is happening right now. We canft change the past, and we canft control the future, but today...today we can live. Today we can do something with ourselves. Today we have eternity at our fingertips if we will only see it.
We need new eyes. We need new lenses for looking at the world, for seeing it as God does. Time is not the great master. It is a creation, like everything else that is not God. It has a beginning and an end. It will pass away with the rest of the creation. What we need is spiritual Lassic. Today we are going to try to imagine life from a Godfs eye view. We are going to take a look at Today from an eternal perspective.
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One: The Scripture is our guide. It is the Word of God, the record of God activities in time, and a witness of the Word of God made flesh, Jesus. The Scripture gives us an eternal perspective. It provides example after example of moments when you can see forever in today. It teaches us how to see the present in the light of eternity.
There are a multitude of eternal moments captured in the pages of this book: The story of creation, Abraham sacrificing Isaac, Moses at the burning bush, Jacob wrestling with God at the riverside, David defeating Goliath, Danielfs friends in the fiery furnace, a babe in a manger, an empty tomb, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Over and over we see that any moment can have eternal significance.
And there are other, less well known than these: When the widow gave the last of her food to Godfs prophet and saved her own life and her sonfs with her generosity it was an eternal moment. When the people came together and dedicated the Temple of God it was a glimpse of forever. When Ezekiel saw the throne of God is the Babylonian wilderness it was the beginning of the unfolding of a heavenly plan. These also are moments of eternal significance, recorded in the Bible.
But, the Bible does more than just tell us stories; it reveals truth as well. It is from the Bible that we are exhorted, ôgThis is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.hô Did you know that? Did you know that the old hymn comes directly from the Bible? Itfs always been a hymn. Itfs was a song of worship before it was ever a memory verse.
This verse comes from Psalm 118. It is verse 24: gThis is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.h Of course, any time I see a verse like that in the Scriptures my mind immediately starts to ask questions. Which day it the Psalmist talking about? Who is he talking to? What is the context for this verse? How does it fit the rest of Psalm 118? So, letfs take a look:
1-4: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His loving-kindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, gHis lovingkindness is everlasting.h Oh let the house of Aaron say, gHis loving-kindness is everlasting.h Oh let those who fear the Lord say, gHis lovingkindness is everlasting.h
gThose who fear the Lordh, thatfs us. Itfs all those who recognize that God is the King of Kings, the Creator of all life, the Judge of all the earth, and our only hope.
4-7: Oh let those who fear the Lord say, gHis lovingkindness is everlasting.h From my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
Youfve heard it before, Romans 8:31-32: gWhat shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?h God is the defender of the defenseless. God helps those who cannot help themselves.
8-12: It is better to take refuge in the Lord that to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished as a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
gI will surely cut them offh, I said, gYou will not destroy me. You will not steal life from me. You will not consume my today with worry and busyness.h
12b-15a: In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. You pushed me violently so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The tents of the righteous: This world is not our home, but let us not dare to just be passing through it.
15-16: The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
The imagery of the right hand of the Lord is common in Scripture, and it sometimes serves as a reference to Jesus. For example, both Godfs right hand and the Word are attributed with the creation.
17: I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord.
My past is forgiven.
18: The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.
My future is life. It is secure in Godfs keeping.
19: Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
Today, I will worship the living God of my salvation. I will give him thanks.
19-25: Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the Lordfs doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech you, do send prosperity!
God, help us to walk in the salvation of Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone of life in eternal quality. Give us victory today: Victory in our homes, success in our workplaces, accomplishment in our schools, favor in our cities, and grace in our relationships. Give us victory in the Lord, because this is the day, this day of confidence in you, Lord Jesus, this day of salvation in you, Lord Jesus, this day of new eyes to see life from your eternal perspective.
24-28: This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol you.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord.
29: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his loving-kindness is everlasting.
Everlasting. Forever. Godfs love endures forever. It fills eternity. Godfs love for us knows no end. Godfs love for you knows no end. Godfs love is enough. It is enough for all of our Todays. gThis is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.h
One: The Scripture is our guide. By it we proclaim that today is where we meet eternity because this day is the day which the Lord has made, and he has given it to us in Jesus, his Son.
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Two: Trust God with the past, the present, the future, and with eternity. Now, eternity seems like a long time, but it isnft. Eternity, forever, is not time at all. Eternity is not just a beginning without an end. Eternity is something different than time. Time is just a framework. It is a canvas for the art of life, ours and the Fatherfs; we draw it together.
We wonft spend a lot of time here, just a moment, because itfs a complicated enough idea to not preach very well.
Eternity is not about continuing the line of history without ever ending it. Time, as we experience it, had a beginning and it will have an end. It gives us references and order to our lives. Time is a creation. It is a tool. In the Bible, time is described as a course. It can be long or short. It comes and goes. It seems to us to move quickly or slowly. Time is appointed to us to measure our lives against seasons and stages. But, Eternity is different.
If you imagine Eternity as the ocean, then time is like a string floating below the surface of the water. It is surrounded by the water, saturated by the water, covered by the water, and supported by the water, but it is not the water.
I mention this because we sometimes loose track of the reality that our time is so small in the scope of eternity. We let our limited time control our lives and we fail to rejoice in the day that the Lord has made. In light of all that God offers to us in the abundant life that he promises, time is a little thing.
God gave Israel the land for all time, but offered them (and us) a relationship that will last for all eternity. The land will perish. As one of my friends likes to remind us, gItfs all gonna burn someday.h All creation will perish, and time itself will culminate in the victorious reign of Jesus. After that, that is, when the string comes to an end, we wonft need time anymore. We will have Eternity. Our everlasting souls will each move one day from time to eternity, if not at the end of creation, then when we die. We will step off of the string and into the depths of God. And, if we have placed our trust in Jesus, then we will remain safe there, forever.
This is why Psalm 121:7-8 says: gThe Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.h
God is enough. Trust him. He is enough for our past, our present, our future, and our eternity.
One: The Scripture is our guide, and this is the day which the Lord has made.
Two: Trust God with the past, the present, the future, and with eternity.
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Three: Live your life like you mean it. Live life on purpose. Live life with purpose. Wake up in the morning and remind yourself that this is the day. This is the day.
Ask God to show you: Lord, show me your glory today. Lord, I trust you with my past today. Lord, I trust you with my future today. I trust you with my family, my job, my bills, my emergency fund, my friends, my house, my ministry. I give you yesterday right now, and I give you tomorrow right now, because you have given me today, and I donft want to miss it.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33-34: gSeek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.h
Pray: Lord, I want to rejoice in you today. I donft want life to just happen to me. I donft want to spend all of my time worried about some other time. I want to enjoy each moment as a gift from you, and know that you are pleased to give each moment to me as a gift. Today, Lord Jesus, walk with me through a life lived on purpose.
You see, trusting God with our past, present, future, and eternity is something that we get the chance to do at any moment. Faith in God is something that happens in the now of life. Itfs a present reality. Believing Godfs Word, which tells us the value of today, means applying what we believe to our life today. Otherwise, our doubt comes through and keeps us from rejoicing.
Now, I know that things happen to us throughout the day, good and bad. What Ifm suggesting is not that we donft let things happen to us, how could we do that? Ifm suggesting that we donft just let life happen to us! Letfs not just watch it go by. Instead, letfs apply what wefve seen today. What would it look like if we really believed that this is the day?
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Therefore, what will we do with today? What will we do with our current little piece of forever? If knowing God today is really enough to get me through the present, why should we spend this day regretting the past or waiting for the future?
Rather, let me rejoice in this day, this day that the Lord has made. Let us together rejoice and be glad in it, because even with its trials and temptations, it is a moment full of grace and salvation and life and glory and the presence of the Lord.
Be encouraged, friends. Letfs see today with eternal eyes, and with Godfs everlasting love in mind. Donft let living steal your life!
Instead, Hebrews 3:13 tells us, gencourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called gToday,h so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.h
What follows is a reminder that Jesus is our Great High Priest, our mediator between the temporal and the divine, the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. In Jesus, the past is forgiven, the future is secure, eternity is promised, and the present is a time for love, for resting in our makerfs arms, for worshipping the true and living God... This is the day. Today is a day for rejoicing!
One more thought: In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells his dicsiples the Parable of the Talents, where 3 servant/slaves are given a certain amount of money by their master before he goes one a trip. The first two immediately invest and double their money, but the 3rd buries his, so that it will be safe. The first two are rewarded and the 3rd is rebuked. The contrast is not about success or failure, but effort and fear. The first two are rewarded for stepping out and doing something. The third returns every cent safely, but is cast out for being lazy.
If we really believe that this is the day, Which servant will we be? Will we be afraid, or will we decide to risk it all, and trustthat God will reward us? Make a decision. Step out and apply the things that we have considered. Stop focussing all of your energy on some other time. Be in today like it really is our touchpoint with eternity. This is the day that the Lord has made! Rejoice.
The Future: When we arenft thinking about what has gone on before today, we are often consumed with thoughts of tomorrow. The mystery that lies before us is even more powerful and awe inspiring than the things that have already passed. History may be full of regret, but it is done with. The mistakes of the past are irrevocable. They cannot be undone. But, the opportunities of the future, for good and for ill, often intimidate us even more. They are the unknown paths and choices. They are unpredictable, uncontrollable, and unreliable. We hope that good times will come, but we cannot be sure. And, even as it can be hard to look for good times ahead, it is always easy to imagine the worst. Anxiety and worry consume our thoughts and we spend our lives in a tomorrow that never comes. The future is full of intrigue and full of anxiousness.
The Present: Surprisingly, this is often the most neglected part of time, yet it is the place we always are. We consume our lives with regrets and plans, and forget to live in the here and now. Yet, this moment, today, the now that we are in, is the most important moment of all. The present is where life happens. It is what goes on when wefre trying to cover up the past, or anticipate the future, neither of which is a task that we can really do. Jesus said, gYou shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.h (John 8:32) The truth is this: today is where life meets eternity. Now is the moment that is most like forever. The present is where life happens. This is the day.
Hebrews 12:1-3 says: gTherefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow wear and lose heart.h
This passage tells us many things: It tells us that we are never alone. We are surrounded in the faith by those who have already died. They have gone on before us, leaving the bondage of time, and are now witnesses to our struggle and endurance. It shows us that the key to Christfs living in a difficult present was an eternal perspective. It provides hope and a reminder that all of these things, these worries and regrets, will pass away, because eternity with God is a place of joy. And, it challenges us to strive for the abundant life that Jesus paved the way for us to have.
If that isnft enough to amaze your mind, Ephesians 2:6 tells us that God has already seated us with Christ in the heavenly places. It is accomplished. We are, in some way that we cannot here comprehend, already in eternity with our heavenly Father, because Forever isnft what most of us think that it is.
But, you might say, I donft like the idea of eternity being in this moment. I donft want forever to be a today with no end. I donft want heaven to be like the present. Today is hard. Today is full of the worries of the future and the shadows of the past. If you knew my life, my story, youfd know that an everlasting Today is not good news. My life is hard. My life is toil. My life is boring.
Well friends, eternity will not be hard. It will not be toil. It will not be boring. It will be the way that today is supposed to be. It will not be full of the past and the future. And, it wonft be playing bridge and dominoes game after game after game, like I feared it might be as a child. There will be no more regret. The mistakes of the past will be completely finished. There will be no more anxiety. We wonft spend our moments looking ahead. We will be at peace with the Lord. Rest assured.
Now, if there is a problem with using the present as an example of eternity, then the problem is not that eternity is too much like today. The problem is that our Todayfs arenft enough like Eternity. Forever is a place where you just are. Itfs real. Itfs true. It isnft a place of covering up or waiting for the next exciting thing.
Perhaps you are like me. Sometimes I think that I spend all of my time waiting for the next real thing. Ifm living high moment to high moment, in anticipation of significance. Ifm hoping for change, wanting more resolution, seeking deeper answers.
Sometimes I spend hours and hours making plans and thinking about what the future might or might not hold. Why do I do that?
Or, you may be different than that. You may live life with your head down, ashamed, alone, and hoping that no one will ever find out about what you did last night. Is that you? Is that how you see yourself? Are you living in the past, and just trudging through the day until enough time has passed, and you might be able to look your friends in the eye again without feeling deceptive? Perhaps you are stuck in yesterday rather than in tomorrow.
But, these are not an eternal mindset. These are not the place of abundant life, because both of them miss the point. Life is happening right now. We canft change the past, and we canft control the future, but today...today we can live. Today we can do something with ourselves. Today we have eternity at our fingertips if we will only see it.
We need new eyes. We need new lenses for looking at the world, for seeing it as God does. Time is not the great master. It is a creation, like everything else that is not God. It has a beginning and an end. It will pass away with the rest of the creation. What we need is spiritual Lassic. Today we are going to try to imagine life from a Godfs eye view. We are going to take a look at Today from an eternal perspective.
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One: The Scripture is our guide. It is the Word of God, the record of God activities in time, and a witness of the Word of God made flesh, Jesus. The Scripture gives us an eternal perspective. It provides example after example of moments when you can see forever in today. It teaches us how to see the present in the light of eternity.
There are a multitude of eternal moments captured in the pages of this book: The story of creation, Abraham sacrificing Isaac, Moses at the burning bush, Jacob wrestling with God at the riverside, David defeating Goliath, Danielfs friends in the fiery furnace, a babe in a manger, an empty tomb, the coming of the Holy Spirit. Over and over we see that any moment can have eternal significance.
And there are other, less well known than these: When the widow gave the last of her food to Godfs prophet and saved her own life and her sonfs with her generosity it was an eternal moment. When the people came together and dedicated the Temple of God it was a glimpse of forever. When Ezekiel saw the throne of God is the Babylonian wilderness it was the beginning of the unfolding of a heavenly plan. These also are moments of eternal significance, recorded in the Bible.
But, the Bible does more than just tell us stories; it reveals truth as well. It is from the Bible that we are exhorted, ôgThis is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.hô Did you know that? Did you know that the old hymn comes directly from the Bible? Itfs always been a hymn. Itfs was a song of worship before it was ever a memory verse.
This verse comes from Psalm 118. It is verse 24: gThis is the day which the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.h Of course, any time I see a verse like that in the Scriptures my mind immediately starts to ask questions. Which day it the Psalmist talking about? Who is he talking to? What is the context for this verse? How does it fit the rest of Psalm 118? So, letfs take a look:
1-4: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His loving-kindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, gHis lovingkindness is everlasting.h Oh let the house of Aaron say, gHis loving-kindness is everlasting.h Oh let those who fear the Lord say, gHis lovingkindness is everlasting.h
gThose who fear the Lordh, thatfs us. Itfs all those who recognize that God is the King of Kings, the Creator of all life, the Judge of all the earth, and our only hope.
4-7: Oh let those who fear the Lord say, gHis lovingkindness is everlasting.h From my distress I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a large place. The Lord is for me; I will not fear; what can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I will look with satisfaction on those who hate me.
Youfve heard it before, Romans 8:31-32: gWhat shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?h God is the defender of the defenseless. God helps those who cannot help themselves.
8-12: It is better to take refuge in the Lord that to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me; in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished as a fire of thorns; in the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off.
gI will surely cut them offh, I said, gYou will not destroy me. You will not steal life from me. You will not consume my today with worry and busyness.h
12b-15a: In the name of the Lord I will surely cut them off. You pushed me violently so that I was falling, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation. The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous;
The tents of the righteous: This world is not our home, but let us not dare to just be passing through it.
15-16: The sound of joyful shouting and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
The imagery of the right hand of the Lord is common in Scripture, and it sometimes serves as a reference to Jesus. For example, both Godfs right hand and the Word are attributed with the creation.
17: I will not die, but live, and tell of the works of the Lord.
My past is forgiven.
18: The Lord has disciplined me severely, but He has not given me over to death.
My future is life. It is secure in Godfs keeping.
19: Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord.
Today, I will worship the living God of my salvation. I will give him thanks.
19-25: Open to me the gates of righteousness; I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous will enter through it. I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me, and You have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is the Lordfs doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech you, do send prosperity!
God, help us to walk in the salvation of Jesus Christ, who is the chief cornerstone of life in eternal quality. Give us victory today: Victory in our homes, success in our workplaces, accomplishment in our schools, favor in our cities, and grace in our relationships. Give us victory in the Lord, because this is the day, this day of confidence in you, Lord Jesus, this day of salvation in you, Lord Jesus, this day of new eyes to see life from your eternal perspective.
24-28: This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, do save, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, do send prosperity! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; we have blessed you from the house of the Lord. The Lord is God, and He has given us light; Bind the festival sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I give thanks to You; You are my God, I extol you.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord.
29: Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for his loving-kindness is everlasting.
Everlasting. Forever. Godfs love endures forever. It fills eternity. Godfs love for us knows no end. Godfs love for you knows no end. Godfs love is enough. It is enough for all of our Todays. gThis is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.h
One: The Scripture is our guide. By it we proclaim that today is where we meet eternity because this day is the day which the Lord has made, and he has given it to us in Jesus, his Son.
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Two: Trust God with the past, the present, the future, and with eternity. Now, eternity seems like a long time, but it isnft. Eternity, forever, is not time at all. Eternity is not just a beginning without an end. Eternity is something different than time. Time is just a framework. It is a canvas for the art of life, ours and the Fatherfs; we draw it together.
We wonft spend a lot of time here, just a moment, because itfs a complicated enough idea to not preach very well.
Eternity is not about continuing the line of history without ever ending it. Time, as we experience it, had a beginning and it will have an end. It gives us references and order to our lives. Time is a creation. It is a tool. In the Bible, time is described as a course. It can be long or short. It comes and goes. It seems to us to move quickly or slowly. Time is appointed to us to measure our lives against seasons and stages. But, Eternity is different.
If you imagine Eternity as the ocean, then time is like a string floating below the surface of the water. It is surrounded by the water, saturated by the water, covered by the water, and supported by the water, but it is not the water.
I mention this because we sometimes loose track of the reality that our time is so small in the scope of eternity. We let our limited time control our lives and we fail to rejoice in the day that the Lord has made. In light of all that God offers to us in the abundant life that he promises, time is a little thing.
God gave Israel the land for all time, but offered them (and us) a relationship that will last for all eternity. The land will perish. As one of my friends likes to remind us, gItfs all gonna burn someday.h All creation will perish, and time itself will culminate in the victorious reign of Jesus. After that, that is, when the string comes to an end, we wonft need time anymore. We will have Eternity. Our everlasting souls will each move one day from time to eternity, if not at the end of creation, then when we die. We will step off of the string and into the depths of God. And, if we have placed our trust in Jesus, then we will remain safe there, forever.
This is why Psalm 121:7-8 says: gThe Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.h
God is enough. Trust him. He is enough for our past, our present, our future, and our eternity.
One: The Scripture is our guide, and this is the day which the Lord has made.
Two: Trust God with the past, the present, the future, and with eternity.
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Three: Live your life like you mean it. Live life on purpose. Live life with purpose. Wake up in the morning and remind yourself that this is the day. This is the day.
Ask God to show you: Lord, show me your glory today. Lord, I trust you with my past today. Lord, I trust you with my future today. I trust you with my family, my job, my bills, my emergency fund, my friends, my house, my ministry. I give you yesterday right now, and I give you tomorrow right now, because you have given me today, and I donft want to miss it.
Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33-34: gSeek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.h
Pray: Lord, I want to rejoice in you today. I donft want life to just happen to me. I donft want to spend all of my time worried about some other time. I want to enjoy each moment as a gift from you, and know that you are pleased to give each moment to me as a gift. Today, Lord Jesus, walk with me through a life lived on purpose.
You see, trusting God with our past, present, future, and eternity is something that we get the chance to do at any moment. Faith in God is something that happens in the now of life. Itfs a present reality. Believing Godfs Word, which tells us the value of today, means applying what we believe to our life today. Otherwise, our doubt comes through and keeps us from rejoicing.
Now, I know that things happen to us throughout the day, good and bad. What Ifm suggesting is not that we donft let things happen to us, how could we do that? Ifm suggesting that we donft just let life happen to us! Letfs not just watch it go by. Instead, letfs apply what wefve seen today. What would it look like if we really believed that this is the day?
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Therefore, what will we do with today? What will we do with our current little piece of forever? If knowing God today is really enough to get me through the present, why should we spend this day regretting the past or waiting for the future?
Rather, let me rejoice in this day, this day that the Lord has made. Let us together rejoice and be glad in it, because even with its trials and temptations, it is a moment full of grace and salvation and life and glory and the presence of the Lord.
Be encouraged, friends. Letfs see today with eternal eyes, and with Godfs everlasting love in mind. Donft let living steal your life!
Instead, Hebrews 3:13 tells us, gencourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called gToday,h so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.h
What follows is a reminder that Jesus is our Great High Priest, our mediator between the temporal and the divine, the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him. In Jesus, the past is forgiven, the future is secure, eternity is promised, and the present is a time for love, for resting in our makerfs arms, for worshipping the true and living God... This is the day. Today is a day for rejoicing!
One more thought: In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells his dicsiples the Parable of the Talents, where 3 servant/slaves are given a certain amount of money by their master before he goes one a trip. The first two immediately invest and double their money, but the 3rd buries his, so that it will be safe. The first two are rewarded and the 3rd is rebuked. The contrast is not about success or failure, but effort and fear. The first two are rewarded for stepping out and doing something. The third returns every cent safely, but is cast out for being lazy.
If we really believe that this is the day, Which servant will we be? Will we be afraid, or will we decide to risk it all, and trustthat God will reward us? Make a decision. Step out and apply the things that we have considered. Stop focussing all of your energy on some other time. Be in today like it really is our touchpoint with eternity. This is the day that the Lord has made! Rejoice.
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