Making Each Day Count

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.” - Psalm 90:12 -

Congratulations! The new year has just begun and you are already making progress. How you say? Why, you are researching articles dealing with how to have good success. You’re being proactive, taking the bull buy the horns.

With each installment to the Biblical Success Blog I find myself more motivated and more focused to produce something that can help open the pages of the Bible to my readers. Each day I try to improve this site, knowing that progress is a series of small improvements. That is actually the message of our blog today.

WHERE DO I BEGIN?

“For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” - James 4:15 -

It is necessary to have a plan, a vision for the future if you desire to have success in life. No one gets there in one big leap or overnight. To arrive at your destination of success and prosperity requires a systematic series of accomplishments. Ask yourself; where do you want to be in your life at this time next year? Next month? Next Week? To reach our goals of prosperity in our spiritual and temporal lives we should begin by winning small victories, one day at a time.

The Bible starts out with these words: “In the beginning God …”. We should also begin our future endeavors with God in mind. No matter what grand vision you have for your success and prosperity; it will not amount to much if God is not a partner to your plan. But “If God be for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31 –

I promise you that you want God in your corner. According to Revelation 3:7, He can open doors for you that no man can close, or he can close doors for you that you will never open without him.

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

A good day tomorrow starts buy preparing tonight. Take some time and assess what you accomplished today. Write out a plan of action for tomorrow tonight. It has been shown that people who go to the trouble of actually writing down a list are twenty-five percent more likely to accomplish their goals.

Prepare your sleep environment by shutting off all electronics. Have a sound generator play something soothing if you like. Make sure your bed is comfortable. Take time to relax before bed.

The best advice I could give you in this area is to take a few minutes to talk to your heavenly Father before bed. We have a lot on our mind at the end of the day, but it doesn’t have to be that way with a child of God. You can beat the stress of the day by “casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” There is no reason for you to stay awake and worry. Worry never changed a thing.

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”

There is really no reason not to get a good nights’ sleep because “…he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber or sleep.” When God is your night watchman you can rest easy. In fact there is no reason to lose sleep over your problems.

THE GOLDEN HOUR.

“And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”

There is much to be said for getting up an hour or so before the rest of the world. It was the practice of the Lord to rise up “a great while before day”, and to depart “into a solitary place” and pray. We ought to get alone with our Creator and thank him for the day ahead and to seek Divine guidance for a successful day.

MAKE EACH DAY WORTHWHILE.

“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:16 –

Probably the best definition of redemption is: “to release from captivity or bondage”. This is what Jesus did for us at the cross. But, another definition is: “to make good by performance”.

This tells us that we have an impact on what our days will be like. If the day will be wasted and empty or if it will be made profitable by our performance. Take the time that you have and making it worth something.

Leave something behind at the end of your day which will make this world a better place for your children and your neighbors.

WE SHOULD VALUE THE IMPORTANCE OF EACH DAY.

“The inward man is renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16 -

I have read a number of articles on the topic of “what a difference a day makes”. I heartily agree! Even in the Lords’ prayer as recorded in the book of Luke, Jesus instructs us to ask the Father to “give us day by day our daily bread”.

Believe you me one day is all we can handle in this mortal body. There’s a very good reason that God did not make each day to have twenty-five hours. We’ve got our hands full with just twenty-four! In Matthew 6:34 we are told that “… sufficient unto today is the evil thereof.”

Although each day brings its’ own challenges, they also bring their rewards. Those in rehab sport a bumper sticker declaring “one day at a time”.

Each day affords us the opportunity for success that we can build upon each day following. Improvement does not happen all at once. Change done gradually is more likely to be accepted and adopted in our life.

WE SHOULD NOT GO IT ALONE

“And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” - Ecclesiastes 4:12 –

Simply put, there is safety in numbers. The success guru Napoleon Hill recommended that we enter into what he called a “master mind alliance”. This is an alliance of two or more people who are deeply committed to the same goals.

I prefer an alliance according to the Masters’ Mind instead. Amos 3:3 tells us that two cannot walk together “except they be agreed”. What better course of action to agree to follow than the one that God promised would bring us “good success” and prosperity? What a great and precious promise that if we walk in the light of Gods’ word that we would “have fellowship one with another”.

“But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; …”

This is more than commitment, it is more than devotion. It is the strongest bond known in this world or the world to come. This tie that binds us together is love. Because we love each other, we care for each other and look out for each other and seek the good of each other. There can be no more successful environment than that!

HOW MANY DAYS DO WE REALLY HAVE?

:Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” - Proverbs 27:1 -

I had an uncle that was a general in the U.S. Army. He was a self-made man. Through hard work and perseverance he attained his goals along with rank and respect. His motto was “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”

God see things a little differently. In our beginning verse the Psalmist is asking God to help him to both “number his days” and to “make them count for something”. While my uncle is one of my heroes; but I think I’ll go with God’s plan in this case.

“Man that is born of women is of few days and full of trouble.” – Job 14:1 –

In comparison to the ages of time past our promised days are few. Isn’t it amazing that young people seem to be unconcerned about growing older. In the flower and strength of youth they only see the present and what it offers. That is both the blessing and curse of inexperience. At their tender age they are blessed with a sense of invincibility and cursed with blindness concerning their impending troubles.

“… thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.” - Job 14:5 –

We have been afforded a certain number of days in our life. We do not know when they shall end, only that they will end. Take heart, this is nothing to bemoan. Knowledge is power, and knowing our circumstances gives us pause to consider what we should think important in the years we have ahead of us.

Remembering that we have a finite number of days gives us an advantage that others do not have, a sense of urgency.

Remember God loves you and so do I. …… Have a great day tomorrow!