ORNING MANNA             1-22-23

As with baseball, so with life, success is achieved not by hitting a few grand slams once in a while, but by the consistent hitting of singles and doubles each and every day. A meaningful and memorable life is nothing more than the sum total of successful years, a successful year is nothing more than the sum total of successful months, a successful month is nothing more than the sum total of successful weeks, and a successful week is nothing more than the sum total of successful days.

Too often, we tend to forget that life is won or lost between the sunrise and sunset of each new day. You and I have got to learn to live one day at a time. Anyone can fight the battles of today. Any woman can carry the burdens of one day.  Any man can stand up to the temptations of one day. It is when we find ourselves crucified between the regrets of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow, that we stumble and fall.

We need to live one day at a time because that is how God doles out life. In the creation story in Genesis, we see that the consistent measurement of time is the day, divided by morning and evening (Gen. 1:1ff). Life according to the Bible is to be lived in daily increments (Psalm. 90:12; 96:2; 139:16). Not knowing what tomorrow might bring or that it will come at all, points to the preciousness of each and every day. We must seize the day because today is all the life we have.

Also, we need to live one day at a time because each day has its own troubles. When Jesus addressed the issue of anxiety with his disciples, He sought to help them see that one of the reasons they were losing their nerve and throwing away their peace was because they were picking an unnecessary fight with tomorrow (Matt. 6:34). They were misappropriating their troubles. These men were going out of their minds to meet trouble that was still a day away. Worrying about tomorrow doesn’t change tomorrow; it only hurts our ability to live effectively today.

Further, we need to live one day at a time because grace is for the present not the future. God’s grace is timely and it is there when we need it (Heb. 4:16; Deut. 33:25). It is not given up front.  It is beautifully tailored and timed for the moment we are in. Just as the Israelites could not store up the manna God had given them each day, so we cannot stock pile grace (Ex. 16:14).

Remember there is no more important day in your life than this one, and whatever its troubles, there is grace perfectly apportioned for them.

Don’t forget that life by the yard is hard, but life by the inch is a cinch. – Philip De Courcy

David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
5801 FM 1960 E
Humble, TX. 77346