REJOICING IN TODAY
Today, we will explore the freedom that comes when we enjoy God’s blessings without depending on them to fulfill us. We then begin to worship the Creator instead of the creation.
When God created us, he gave us the capacity to delight in him and the world he created. It’s important to understand that delighting in this world directs our worship back to God. Remembering who God is, the Creator and King, allows us to keep good things from becoming idols in our lives. Ultimately, God is the source from which all blessings come, and we are not in control of our lives.
Psalm 118:24 says “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” When you woke up this morning, how did you view your day? Was that your first thought? Did you have joy, or were your thoughts filled with anxieties for the day to come or maybe even regrets from the days and weeks before?
A huge part of rejoicing in today is allowing yourself to be fully present each day. When our minds are only focused on what is to come or what we have already done, there’s no time to think about today. As created beings, we are confined to the present moment. There’s no going back, and all we can do is wait for the future to come. But God, our Creator, is not restricted by time. He exists outside of time and controls all of time.
We don’t have to worry about what is to come because we can trust that he goes before us. He will guide and protect our steps, even on the bad days. Rejoicing in today does not mean we ignore the hard things that come our way. As believers, we do not have to live in fear of the future because we know God will be there and he is faithful.
In today’s passage, the writer tells us that since we are really not in control, then there is nothing better than for us to be joyful, do good, and enjoy the simple things of life as gifts from God.
Read Ecclesiastes 3:9–15 and Ecclesiastes 11:8–9.
- What anxious thoughts fill your mind most often?
- Is it difficult for you to enjoy today? If so, how come?
- What parts of your future do you find most difficult to entrust to God?
- Spend a minute writing down several blessings that the Lord has given you. Often, writing these things down helps us remember how blessed we really are and we become less focused on what we don’t have.