Daily Devotional for Sunday July 14, 2013

Another Day in Your Life

(Hebrews 11:13)

***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, how do we know what God has called us to do, especially if our God given talents are creative and not social. I always have thought the best talent God can give a person is the ability to speak and communicate with other people.

ANSWER: Everyone has been given different gifts and talents. We usually know what our gifts are because they are things we do well and enjoy. Often, over our life we may use many different gifts and talents. Just as we give of our treasure, equally important is giving the Lord those gifts and talents He has blessed us with to serve Him and for His glory!

For the great majority who will read these words today, this is simply another day in your life. The simple fact is, it is a day that will come and go like most days in your life do. Some will celebrate this day because it is your birthday. For others it will be special because it marks an anniversary of some sort. However, for most, it will simply be another day in this journey we are on called life.

If there is one thing that God has called me to do each day, is to use this Devotional to share the very real day to day life experiences that we all face on our journey, put it in the context of our faith in Christ, and share the love and hope that we have in the Lord. Most days will be like today. Nothing special. Nothing of any great significance. Just another day. My desire today is two fold. First, to help you realize that NO DAY is "just another day." Second, to help you get through days like today despite the trials and tribulations you may be facing in your life.

It is important to realize that NO DAY is "just another day." IT IS SPECIAL! It is a day like never before, and never again. Let me break it down this way. IF you live to be 100, you will have 36,500 days to live. If you are 16, you have already lived 5,840 days, and have 30,660 left. If you are 25, you have lived 9,125 days, and have 27,375 days left. If you are 40, you have lived 14,600 days, and have 21,900 days left. The point is, our life is over MUCH faster than we ever expect it to be. When we are 40, we look back and "wish" that we had made different decisions. When we are 60, we look back and wonder where all of the years went. The point is, LIFE IS SHORT! DON'T TAKE EVEN ONE DAY FOR GRANTED!

More on point, the Bible tells us that tomorrow is promised to NOBODY! We take most days for granted because we have "tomorrow," "next week," "next month," and "next year." The fact is, only God knows that for sure and HE SAID, tomorrow is not promised to anyone! So don't let this day pass, don't let this day just be "another day." MAKE IT SPECIAL IN SOME WAY. MAKE IT COUNT!

The second point is that while it is just "one more day," many of you are facing huge issues in your life dealing with the trials and tribulations of day-to-day life and facing incredible challenges. How are you supposed to handle the challenges of life each day? Most find avenues of escape like tobacco, alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, t.v., food, shopping, and a myriad of other things to help you "cope" with life's problems.

Let me tell you today. There is only ONE WAY to "cope." That is through the strength and direction that you can only get from God Himself! Everything else is just temporary diversions and not answers to the problems that you have. In fact, these diversions ultimately become entire new problems. ONLY God can help you deal with the day to day issues that we all face along this journey called life.

I love you and care about you so much. The key point today boils down to what I share with you so often. Your day to day walk with Jesus is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING that you will do today. Your time with Him in prayer, your time with Him reading the Word, is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING that you will do today.

Why? It is your time to connect with the One who loved you so much that HE died for you. It is your time to "hear" from Him on things that He is asking you to do. It is your time to share with Him your problems. It is your time for Him to give you wisdom and guidance to handle those problems. THERE IS NOTHING MORE SPECIAL, NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAT YOU WILL DO EACH DAY THAN THE TIME YOU SPEND WITH JESUS!!!

I will be praying for you today. Praying that you will realize that today is NOT just "another day." Praying that in spite of whatever challenges that you have, you will find your strength and hope in the Lord to see you through. It is no accident that God woke you up this morning. It is no accident that you are alive today. HE has a specific plan and purpose for your life today. Take the time to have a chat with the Lord, and ENJOY this wonderful day. It is NOT just "another day," but it is the day that the Lord made, let us rejoice and be glad in it! When today is over, it is never coming back, you will never be able to live it again, so enjoy it for what it is . . . a gift from God!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller