Daily

This weekend the Lord impressed upon me the importance of daily things. The things we do daily often seem small, but as I have learned, there are no small things. The seemingly small things are the big things. It's the seemingly insignificant things we do each day that make a difference in life and eternity. What's 5-30 min out of each day for us? Its a small chunk of time, but when multiplied by 365 days per year thats somewhere in the neighborhood of 182 hours. Those hours put to use on anything in your life are going to make a huge difference.

Proverbs 8:34
Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

Luke 9:23
Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

1 Thessalonians 4:11Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, 12so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Hebrews 3:13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

Matt 6:9“This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.'

The lesson for us today is that our walk as servants and slaves of righteousness is a daily one. Our walk has nothing to do with some "slam bam thank you ma'am" 30 second 'decision' we made 15 years ago. Our walk with the Lord is daily. Blessed are those who wait daily at the doors of our master.

Notice the 3 key words we see in this statement: Proverbs 8:34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.

listen...watch...wait....and how often do we do these things? Daily.

It is not the things we do once in awhile that have a lasting positive impact in life, its the things we do daily that have a lasting positive impact. There are lots of things we can do once in awhile to have a lasting negative impact on our lives.

Let's examine our lives today to determine what we are aiming towards. What kind of outcome do we expect from this life? What are we doing daily in that direction? What kind of difference can even 5 minutes daily make in a life? Do not underestimate the impact of daily. Something is better than nothing as long as its daily.

The way we can finish the race that is marked out for us is to make daily efforts toward finishing. We live in a world that overlooks "small" in favor of "flash" and big things. Small efforts add up to big achievements in any area you want to consider, fitness, academic study of a topic, prayer, bible study. Many people think that if they cant stay for 3 hours on their knees then why bother doing anything? That's terrible thinking. There is no such thing as small. Give what time you feel you have today, let tomorrow take care of itself. Give your effort today, with whatever strength you have today and watch tomorrows results with amazement.

If all the time you feel you have is to read one sentence out of the bible each day, then do that. Remember this parable:

Matt 25:14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talentsa of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22“The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’
23“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24“Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28“‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Wow. Everyone who has will be given more. Put forth the effort you "have" today and in time you will have an abundance. If we are like the servant who buried his talent, we will end up with nothing, even what we had will be taken away. Do what you can with what you have. There's no such thing as "small" when you add up "small" over time.

Grace and peace