“I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved”   (Psalm 16:8).

The last three services I have preached from Hebrews 12:1-3. To sum it all up, the key to everything is, “Looking unto Jesus”–“consider him”. We are called to live a godly life and good examples are important. That’s what we find in our text for today. As we face the new year, expecting difficult days and great challenges, we need to do as David did–“I have set the LORD always before me”.

Nearly 150 years ago, Charles Spurgeon wrote:

This is the way to live. With God always before us, we shall have the noblest companionship, the holiest example, the sweetest consolation, and the mightiest influence. This must be a resolute act of the mind. “I have set,” and it must be maintained as a set and settled thing. Always to have an eye to the LORD’s eye and an ear for the LORD’s voice–this is the right state for the godly man. His God is near him, filling the horizon of his vision, leading the way of his life, and furnishing the theme of his meditation. What vanities we should avoid, what sins we should overcome, what virtues we should exhibit, what joys we should experience if we did indeed set the LORD always before us! Why not? This is the way to be safe. The LORD being ever in our minds, we come to feel safety and certainty because of His being so near. He is at our right hand to guide and aid us; and hence we are not moved by fear, nor force, nor fraud, nor fickleness. When God stands at a man’s right hand, that man is himself sure to stand. Come on, then, ye foemen of the truth! Rush against me like a furious tempest, if ye will. God upholds me. God abides with me. Whom shall I fear?

Many poor souls are discouraged and defeated because they are overwhelmed by the largeness of life. They think about their many duties and their difficulties, and feel totally inadequate to fulfill their responsibilities. As they struggle with these they feel like a little baby wresting with a giant—powerless to prevail. In regards to this, J. R. Miller writes.

Every individual life must be lived amid countless antagonisms, and in the face of countless perils. Battles must be fought, trials encountered, and sorrows endured.

Also, the brief earthly course—is but the beginning of an endless existence, whose immortal destinies hinge upon fidelity in the present life.

Looked at in this way, as a whole, there is something almost appalling in the thought of our responsibility in living.

Many a person who thinks of life in this aspect, and sees it in its wholeness, has not the courage to hope for success and victory—but stands staggered, well-near paralyzed, on the threshold. Despair comes to many a heart when either duty or sorrow or danger is looked at—in the aggregate.

But this is not the way we should view life. It does not come to us all in one piece. We do not get it even in years—but only in days—day by day. We look on before us, and as we count up the long years with their duties, struggles, and trials—and the bulk is like a mountain which no mortal can carry. But really, we never have more than:
one day’s battles to fight, or
one day’s work to do, or
one day’s burdens to bear, or 
one day’s sorrow to endure,
in any one day.

It is wonderful how the Bible gives emphasis to this way of viewing life. When for forty years God fed His chosen people with bread from heaven, He never gave them, except on the morning before the Sabbath, more than one day’s portion at a time. He positively forbade them gathering more than would suffice for the day; and if they should violate His command, what they gathered above the daily portion, would become corrupt. Thus early, God began to teach His people to live only by the day—and trust Him for tomorrow.

At the close of the forty years, the promise given to one of the tribes was, “As your days—so shall your strength be.” Deuteronomy 33:25. Strength was not promised in advance—enough for all of life, or even for a year, or for a month—but the promise was, that for each day, when it came with its own needs, duties, battles and griefs—enough strength would be given. As the burden increased—more strength would be imparted.

The important thought here is, that strength is not emptied into our hearts in bulk—a supply for years to come—but is kept in reserve, and given day by day, just as the day’s needs require.

When Christ came, He gave still further emphasis to the same method of living. He said, “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today!” Matthew 6:34. He would have us fence off the days by themselves, and never look over the fence to think about tomorrow’s cares.

The thought is, that each day is, in a certain sense—a complete life by itself. It has . . .
its own duties,
its own trials,
its own burdens,
its own needs.
It has enough to fill our heart and hands for the one full day. The very best we can do for any day, for the perfecting of our life as a whole—is to live the one day well. We should put all our thought and energy and skill into the duty of each day, wasting no strength—either in grieving over yesterday’s failures, or in anxiety about tomorrow’s responsibilities.

Our Lord, also, in the form of prayer which He gave his disciples, taught this lesson of living only by the day. There He has told us to ask for bread—for one day only. “Give us this day our daily bread.” He again teaches us that we have to do only with the present day. We do not need tomorrow’s bread now. When we need it—it will be soon enough to ask God for it, and get it. It is the ‘manna lesson’ over again. God is caring for us, and we are to trust Him for the supply of all our needs—as they press upon us. We are to trust Him, content to have only enough in hand for the day.

If we can but learn to thus live by the day, without anxiety about the future—the burden will not be so crushing. We have nothing to do with life in the aggregate—that great bulk of duties, responsibilities, struggles, and trials—which belong to a course of years. We really have nothing to do even with the nearest of the days before us—tomorrow. Our sole business is with the one little day, now passing. Its burdens will not crush us—we can easily carry them until the sun goes down. We can always get along for one short day. It is the projection of life into the long future, which dismays and appalls us. This lesson makes life easy and simple!

Go forward! Exodus 14:15

As we begin our journey into the new year, a journey into the unknown, it should be with a resolve to “go forward”–make progress. We know not what great trials we shall face–there might be many high mountains to climb or many stormy seas to navigate, but regardless of the situation we should go forward. This text is a command, not a suggestion. We are duty bound to make progress regardless of the circumstances. Seeing that is the case it will be good for us to remember these wise words from the pen of A. W. Pink:

We need to clearly realize that there is no such thing as remaining stationary in the spiritual life. If we do not progress–we inevitably retrograde. How that solemn fact should search our hearts!

Christian friend, your history this year will be either one of going forward–or backsliding. This new year will mark either an increased fruitfulness in your soul and life, to the glory of Him whose name you bear–or increased leanness and barrenness, to His reproach. It will witness either a growing in grace–or a decline in your spirituality. It will record either an increased love for the Word, use of the Throne of Grace, strictness of walk and closer communion with Christ–or a growing coldness and a following of Him afar off!

“Go forward!” Exodus 14:15

“It is an awful fact that there are some that will be ‘scarcely saved’ –
saved because of faith in Jesus Christ, but whose whole life will have been
practically thrown away, because what they labored for has been what
perishes. All past years are gone forever, with their opportunities. Shall
we continue pursuing the same course that we have been? Shall we live for
this world or for the world to come?”
~A.T. Pierson, “The Bible and Spiritual Life”

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.–Philippians 3:13-15

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.– Psalm 90:12

We so number our days aright, when we give to each one as it passes, its own measure of faithfulness. Our days come to us ‘one by one’. God breaks up His great years, into ‘little sections’ for us—that we may be able to get along with our work, our burdens, and our struggles. Take the ‘single days’ as they come to you. He who has learned this secret—has gained a heart of wisdom.

Take the ‘one little day’, and . . .
do all its duties faithfully;
seize its opportunities;
endure its trials;
meet its temptations victoriously;
bear its burdens;
receive its blessings;
miss not its privileges;
do all the kindness you can;
make it a beautiful day.

Anyone can live ‘one single day’ sweetly and victoriously. Make today beautiful. Then do the same with tomorrow, and with the next day—and so on, to the end of your life! Thus you will ‘number your days’ in a way that will make each one profitable. Thus you will write on each day’s page—a record of which you will not be ashamed, when it is spread before you on the judgment day.–J.R. Miller

Our morning prayer each day should be, “Lord, teach me to number my days!”

“As your days–so shall your strength be.” Deuteronomy 33:25