Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice
today and be glad.
The story is told of a Seventy-eight-year-old man, Bill
Fulton of Baker City, Oregon. He says he can remember the good, old days.
Actually, Fulton finds it a bit easier to remember those
days. That's because Melanie Trindle, the secretary of Baker Middle School,
recently returned the wallet Fulton lost -- in 1946.
Fulton's wallet, along with other assorted items that had
disappeared over the years, was discovered when workers detached gymnasium
bleachers from the wall of the old school. Those bleachers had been there since
1936. Fulton's wallet found its way behind them about ten years later.
Inside the mini-time capsule, Fulton found the address
where he had lived as a teen, his Social Security card, his bicycle card, and a
hodgepodge of other items designed to jolt a man's memory.
Now the amazing thing is this: the return of Fulton's
wallet has made a difference for the man. But rather than focusing on what is
inside his wallet, Fulton has been thinking about his life, his time in the
Korean War, his military service in Berlin, and the years he spent working at a
local lumber yard.
Fulton summarized his feelings this way: "Where did
all the time go? It's hard to believe that the times have gone so fast."
As I look back on my life I have to agree. I also agree
with the today's verse. This day, every day, is a gift from God. Each day can
be used or abused; it can be squandered or appreciated. As far as the Lord is
concerned: He prefers we rejoice and be glad for the time He has given us.
Not only does the Lord want it, He has done something to
assure it. Jesus came into this world to seek and save the lost and to bring
light to those in darkness. He lived, died, and rose to save us from our sins,
to assure us of eternal life, and to give us an abundant life.
With all those blessings coming together, today let us rejoice
and be glad in it.
Dear Lord, You gave Your days so that our days may be
blessed, our life be abundant, and our eternity a joy. Thank You for Your
sacrifice, today, and every day, we will rejoice and be glad in it. In Jesus’
Name, Amen.