May 14.
That is today’s date, and it is a special day.
What is so special about today?
— May 14 was the date of Mother’s day back in 1961.
— May 14 is my older brother’s birthday.
— May 14 is the birthday of the special kitten we purchased for my husband 12 years ago.
— May 14 is the birthday of countless others out there.
But then, if you think about it, There are many different dates in May that can be Mother’s Day, and every day of the year is the birthday to countless special people (and animals!) out there! What then is so special about today?
Today is special because, “This is the day the Lord has made.” (Ps. 118:24a NLT).
Have you ever stopped to think about that? No matter what the day of the week, the month or the year, whatever day is “today” is special, because it is “the day the Lord has made”!
Okay then, who cares if this is the day the Lord has made? Hasn’t He made every day? Aren’t they all special?
Yes. And that is exactly the point. Today is special!
So what do we do with today, since it is so special?
I only gave the first half of Ps. 118:24 above. Let’s take a look at the entire verse: “This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24 NLT)!
Notice that the verse doesn’t specify which day of the week this is, or month or year. It doesn’t even specify that the day is problem free. It simply says, “This is the day“. What this tells us, then, is that no matter what day it is, no matter how many problems surround you, no matter how bleak things may seem, God has made this day, and He has commanded us to rejoice and be glad in it!
But how can we possibly rejoice with all the trouble going on around us? How can we be “glad”? Is God asking us to do something that is impossible?
Not at all. God would never require us to do anything that He isn’t prepared to carry us through. Our job is simply one of surrender! Check out this familiar text: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28 NLT). Notice that Jesus doesn’t specify any particular time, He simply says that if we are weary and carry heavy burdens, we must, “Come to me…”
And what about the “rest” promised in that last part, “I will give you rest.” Interestingly, the book of Hebrews looks at this concept of rest in more depth. But what is even more interesting is that in this same passage, God puts this in the context of “today”… May 14, yes, and every day! Check it out: “So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: ‘Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.'” (Hebrews 4:7 NLT).
The reference in Hebrews speaks of the Children of Israel entering into Canaan, their “rest”. But once in Canaan, the people didn’t have rest from their labours, did they? They had to fight for the land the Lord was giving them. Hebrews 4 continues on: “Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special reststill waiting for the people of God.” (Hebrews 4:9 NLT)
Just what is that special rest? Let’s go back to Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28 NLT). Therefore, Jesus is the “rest” that is promised to God’s people. He is the “rest” spoken of in Hebrews 4. And when we follow God’s command, today, when we hear His voice, when we come to Jesus with our burdens, He WILL give us rest: “For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world.” (Hebrews 4:10 NLT)
What’s on your plate today, my friend? Does the concept of rest seem elusive, slippery, unrealistic, perhaps for someone besides you? Remember: Today is the day the Lord has made When we come to Him and give our burdens to Him, we will enter the promised rest. We will be able to “rejoice and be glad in it”. Let’s determine today, May 14, to, “…do our best to enter that rest.” (Hebrews 4:11a NLT).
And if you are reading this tomorrow, May 15, or perhaps next month, June 14, or whatever day you are reading it, remember: “This is the day…” So “rejoice and be glad in it”, for whatever the date on the calendar, today is the day to come to Jesus, give Him our burdens, and receive our rest!
May I suggest a tiny exercise? Take a piece of paper and write down everything that burdens you at this moment. Then roll it up, place it on the palm of your hand, and in a moment of prayer, surrender it to God. Physically hand it over, then take that piece of paper and tear it in little tiny bits and burn it. You no longer need a ledger of your problems. You’ve given them to God!
Don’t wait! Do it … Today!
In His love,
Lyn
Lynona Gordon Chaffart
Moderator, Associate Director, Answers2Prayer Ministries
