July 2012

On my birthday this Our Daily Bread devotional reminded me of focus pf my journey toward healing. July 2, 2012 A New Day by Bill Crowder Read: Psalm 118:19-29 This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. —Psalm 118:24 In a morning meeting I recently attended, the person who opened the gathering began by praying, “Lord, thanks for today. It is the beginning of a new day we have never seen before.” Although the idea seemed obvious, that prayer got me thinking about a couple of different things. First, because each day is a new opportunity, it will be filled with things we cannot anticipate or even prepare for. Therefore, it’s important that we recognize our limitations and lean heavily on God—intentionally choosing to live in His grace and strength rather than relying on our own resources. The second thing that occurred to me is that the newness of each day is a gift worth celebrating. Perhaps this concept was what prompted the psalmist to declare, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24). Of course, we face many unknowns today—and some could be difficult. But the treasure of each brand-new day is so special that Moses was led to write, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (90:12). Every new day is a precious gift. May we thankfully embrace each one with confident trust and humble celebration. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure Gives unto each day what He deems best— Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure, Mingling toil with peace and rest. —Berg Each new day gives us new reasons to praise the Lord. Bible in a year: Psalms 115-118