What a Difference a Day Makes Dr. Ritch Boerckel
Senior Pastor
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On Sunday, November 17 tornados ripped through our area, demolishing homes and taking lives. Many woke that morning in the comfort of their beds and ate breakfast in the coziness of their kitchens, with no thought that this would be the last time they would sleep in that bed or sit at that table. Many thoughts roll through my mind as I contemplate what has taken place in a community so near and among people so dear. I think of God’s mercy, faithfulness and strength. I think of the sadness of so many. I think of the opportunity for the church to demonstrate Jesus’ love. I think of the power and privilege of prayer. I think of the frailty of man and the uncertainty of this life. This tragedy elicits so many thoughts. The thought that rings loudly in my heart right now is this: What a difference one day can make! I confess that I often live as though a day is of little consequence since they are all so similar. I expect that tomorrow is going to be like today and today is going to be like yesterday. But that is not ultimately
true. One day is not like the others. Each is precious. And everything about our lives can change in a finger’s snap. What a difference one day can make. For this reason, the apostle Paul urged us, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16-17, ESV) So how do we make the most of each day? We cannot do any better with any day than to seek to improve upon that day by applying more of God’s grace and doing more of God’s will. No day is ever lost when we redeem it by communing with God. Richard Baxter, a 17th century Puritan pastor, wrote an article on the subject, “How to Spend a Day with God.” When I first started reading this article, I thought Baxter was giving instruction for those rare times once every several weeks that one might set aside an entire day for prayer or Bible reading. But I discovered that he was writing to encourage Christians to make each day a God-exalting one. I have paraphrased Baxter and put a more Continued on page 2