“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” Matthew 6:34
It was Moses who in his psalm and prayer 90, wrote: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (v.12) Why would this man, so endowed with gifts, capacities, and intelligence, pray in this manner? He first saw the importance of a day that God had created, and for which himself being a creation of God, and His servant, was responsible for the use of it. Moses also was convinced of the impossibility in and of himself of meeting the standards of God’s will in that day, thus using his opportunity well, effectively, and for the glory of God. If his vision of the day, this brief period of time being a gift of God, would be lived for eternity, God’s way for God’s glory, then God must be sought and found, for only by His wisdom and power could Moses fill up the entire measure of the day.
The matter of “a day” did not change through the centuries that separated Moses from the Apostle Paul, hence, Paul would address the same matter in a different way. He would write to the Ephesian church: “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (5:15,16) He goes on to write concerning, “…understanding the will of the Lord,” then adding, the imperative of being filled with the Holy Spirit. How is this to be accomplished but by the same method and means used by Moses. A vision, or clear perspective of the truth must be sought and known, but also, prayer must be specifically made to God in order to receive every resource in Christ pertaining to filling up the day, walking before God in it, abiding in Christ, believing Him to sovereignly guide and provide. What then is to be this vision, and then, what is the disciple of Christ to pray?
The perspective of how important a “day” is, and the possibilities of it, are first revealed in the book of Genesis, when God created all things in six days, resting on the seventh. With respect to sinful man, and how he perceives and respects a “day,” we see how God designated the seventh “day” to be a sabbath, a day of rest. In the history of Israel, because she did not hold firm to God’s perspective, she began to let slip the vision of this day, not regarding it as a provision of God for man, for him to use well, with the goal of worshipping and having fellowship with God. So important was this day to be kept and observed, that the Lord would fix seventy years to be the duration of Israel’s exile, “…until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept the sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.” (2 Chronicles 36:21)
The perspective of a “day” must be seen from God’s standpoint, and that means that it is His creation, of His making for His purpose in wisdom. What then of the possibilities of that day? They are enormous for the simple reason that God created the day to fill it up with all that is good and holy. It is not only a matter of a Sabbath day, but six other days, days in which God worked wonderfully to create a world, wherein, and through which His glory would shine.
How then do we live a day? First and foremost is worship, worshipping the Creator of the day, and the Redeemer of the souls of men. Out of worship is born the knowledge of God’s will, as the Spirit of God is given to reveal the things of God to us. An effective day begins waiting upon God, hearing His word. Then, there is the receiving of all in Christ by faith, for the doing of the will of God, one day at a time.
Dear Father, Fill up our days. In Jesus’ name, Amen.