“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
As the new year begins, many people will resolve to make a change or some type of personal commitment for the year 2024. Like others, I thought about the past year before the calendar rolled over and what 2023 had looked like for my family and me. In the past year, there were moments of joy and times of sadness. There were blessings we experienced and prayers that were answered. There were days that seemed to stretch on and days that flew by like a blur of busyness. In this reflection of my year, I was reminded of the goodness of God in the details of my life and how each moment is a gift from God.
You may have never thought of your days as gifts, but when you woke up this morning, opened your eyes, and drew breath into your lungs, you received another gift. Psalm 139:16b says,
“…all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began.”
The thought of our life being planned before we even were born is astounding. But if you were shocked by that thought, let me include the verses beginning in Psalm 139:13-17:
“For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.Your works are wondrous,and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from you when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless;all my days were written in your book and planned before a single one of them began. God, how precious your thoughts are to me; how vast their sum is!”
You see, you are made with a purpose! God is the designer and orchestrator of your life. Though you will never understand every moment here on this earth, I do believe that when we change our point of view, it helps us to see life differently.
When we arise each day with the thought of it being a gift that God has carefully planned, we can give Him gratitude for His care and provision. We can thank Him for directing our days and ask Him to reveal to us how to use our time wisely for His glory and for good. Just a reminder, this is not a promise that everything will go as we think it should or that it will be our idea of perfection; we do live in a fallen world that has been marred by sin. But as I think of the day that will one day come, when I stand before Him, I want to be known as a good steward of the time I was given. I pray that my life reflects that I was thankful to the One who is the giver of the gift of all my days!
So, as we begin the year 2024, my prayer is that we be found faithful and living a life of purpose. That we do not take our moments for granted, because we are not promised tomorrow. That we love deeply and forgive others for wrongs. That we look to God to help us live a life of obedience and thankfulness. That we recognize the amazing gift that was given through the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf. And if that is all you can think of to be grateful for, then that means everything!!
Amanda Patterson
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#amandapattersonblogs
