A New Day

This marks the first post of the new year 2009. Where I am it happens to be a beautiful, glorious day. From my study window I see a clear sky and bright sunshine. I hear birds chirping merrily. Though the ground is covered in leaves, it is very much alive with the flitting of birds and the scurrying of squirrels. It is a new day, full of promise, potential and possibilities.

This morning during our breakfast prayer, my family and I prayed for God's help in realizing the potential He has placed before us this year. Each of us has our own goals with respect to improving ourselves and realizing our possibilities in God. For my family, this year will be about stewardship. We will be intentional about how we utilize all the resources with which God has blessed us. This includes our time, talent, treasure and the temples of our bodies. Next week, as a family, we will establish budgets for all these things and together we will hold each other accountable. It seems a bit strange to think about budgeting calories but that's what I'm going to do. We're going to budget our time so that we accomplish the great things God intends and not settle for the good things.

Nevertheless, in and of ourselves we are incapable of any success in this regard. But we do not engage in these efforts alone. We have God to give us strength. We have The Holy Spirit to give us wisdom and we have Jesus Christ to give us hope for through Him, all things are possible. Thus we do not enter into this effort without forethought and preparation. Nor do we undertake these tasks with the misconception that we have an unlimited amount of time in which to accomplish them.

I am reminded of this by my study verse today;

Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

¹² Teach us to number our days aright,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

^[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids : Zondervan, 1996, c1984

It is fitting and appropriate that on this day, January 1, 2009 we start the counter of days at one. For now, this is a new day and it will not be until this day is done that we will know whether we have used it wisely. Tomorrow too will be a new day and so it will continue throughout the year.

We establish our plans and goals for the year and then work to accomplish them each day, one step at a teim. God directs our steps and offers strength and correction. In this way, we are ever mindful of what day it is and that helps us to "number them aright." And as today's verse alludes, the right numbering of our days yields a heart of wisdom.

As a practical matter, I may have as a goal to lose 24 pounds this year. Each day, I pray to lose just a little bit, not enough to even be perceptible until all those little bits are piled together. But that will not work with my goal to love others more fully. That goal is a daily battle and is won or lost with each personal encounter. There will be no lumping together, no cumulative effect and no time to make careless mistakes. Wisdom tells me to lose weight gradually but to love fully immediately. Wisdom tells me too that in order to love others more fully, I must be mindful that 'the day' fast approaches and that I must not delay in offering the knowledge of Jesus Christ to those I offer my love. After all, there is no greater love that I can offer than the saving grace of Jesus.

So then I am off now to spend the day with my family, to enjoy the beauty of this moment. To savor this new day which has been offered to me.

Shalom,
Carl