It turns to midnight. The second hand of your clock ticks onto the 12, exactly aligned with the minute hand and the hour hand. Like an arrow pointing up to God in heaven, all three of them touch for just a millisecond.
And then, no longer.
God nudges the second hand forward and in seconds it becomes 12:01 a.m. A new day! The timeless One, existing from eternity, determines the pace and parameters of time for us. He knows best.
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).
The new day is his creation. Not yours. You didn’t design the new day. You didn’t make sure it started. God did, and he gives it to you as a gift, descending on you quietly while you sleep. There for you when you awake, or at least, try to awake.
The moment you hear your alarm, or the baby cries for your attention, or your internal clock tells you to get up. That moment. God made it. It belongs to him. So does the next moment when you decide whether to get up or not.
There’s so much to face in the day ahead. So much responsibility—it can be overwhelming. So many people who need you. Lists. Deadlines. Kids need shuttling, bills need to be paid, and ants are crawling in your house where they shouldn’t. Maybe if you stay in bed those things will all disappear.
Don’t worry. This day is of God’s design. He packages within it all those things that worry you. He owns them, too. He made you to bear them (with his help).
The morning rush hour. The tight schedule sabotaged by your own misfocused priorities or people problems. All of these exist in time slots created by God. He gives them a place in your day.
Rejoice! Be glad in this day. This day. Right now. You’re living in a moment that the Lord has made. He manufactures hours, minutes, and seconds for you as a gift. When you enjoy it, you praise and honor him.
There is no bad day when you believe in a Lord who is good. Rejoice! Be glad!
PRAYER: Eternal God, time is yours and you created this day for me as a gift. I’m so glad. Whatever happens today is in your hands, as am I. Fill me with joy in this day, our day Lord, to praise and serve you in all things. Amen.
FURTHER MEDITATION: Complete this sentence as you think about this day’s activities: “This day belongs to the Lord, not to __________.”