Day 211, or July 30. Live today to the full.
Our thoughts today are from Isaiah chapter 61 verse 10.
I delight greatly in the LORD. My soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments
of salvation, and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness. As a bridegroom adorns
his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
And now the big picture surrounding this verse. Our chapters begin with some of the favorite
words of Jesus, which he spoke in his hometown synagogue—truly wonderful words that I have
read many times in an old disused synagogue in Nazareth. And speaking again about them
makes the hair tingle on the back of my neck. It was a long time before Jesus did arrive
on earth, but God always keeps his promises, even if they don't sink in with our diaries.
And now our action step for today. We have lived as a family for many years in
an area of England which attracts a lot of folk to settle down for their retirement.
During the past thirty years we have seen too many hearts broken and visions shattered,
as dreams failed to become realities for new neighbours. Many have said to me, we have worked
really hard so that we could settle in the place where we spent many happy holidays when
I was a child. We've scrimped and saved for ages. Sometimes it was the sadness of bereavement,
sometimes simply the inability to settle in a place that isn't the place they remember—tangible
disappointment after waiting so long. Isaiah reminds us of what our everyday attitude should
be. I delight greatly and my soul rejoices. Don't wait to enjoy life. Do it now. Don't
live for tomorrow, but enjoy what God has for you today. We can spend so much time planning
for the future that we fail to enjoy today and all that it has to offer. Jesus says in
Matthew 6 verse 34, So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own
worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. If you always live today to the full, every
day reaches its potential.