Day-to-Day with God

October 10, 2023

From Pastor Joe Wamack

As many of you know, my older sister Rosalie has cancer. It is pretty serious cancer (I guess all cancers are serious), but this is stage 4 cancer with chemo and radiation being done, essentially to give her as much time to live as possible. She told me that she knew it was a matter of a waiting game. I talked to her husband, my brother-in-law about what he was going to do when she passed away, and he discussed life without Rosalie. (He brought the topic up, not me.).

Maybe it is my years of working in hospitals and chaplain/pastor stuff, but I am a big proponent of talking about end-of-life care, about filling out a will, about what you want done for a service, when you pass away and everything. Sadly, dying is part of life.

But all of this discussion has made me reflect on the day-to-day existence we each have-while we are here and now. None of us is promised anything. All we each have is this 24-hour time period. My sister texted me the other day and part of what she said was, “Live each day without looking ahead. Just be now.” When everything is stripped away, all we have is time to live.

And so the question is-why don’t we appreciate this time? Why do we argue and worry about small stuff? Why don’t we tell the people we love we love them? Why don’t we sing praises to God more and thank Him for Life itself? Not the stuff, not the clothes, not the money, not the car, not the house, but LIFE-walking with Jesus, my heart is beating, I am thankful to be alive LIFE. There is a great quote by Ellen White from the book, Steps to Christ, (pg. 70) that says,

“Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work. Let your prayer be, “Take me, O Lord, as wholly Thine. I lay all my plans at Thy feet. Use me today in Thy service. Abide with me and let all my work be wrought in Thee.” This is a daily matter. Each morning consecrate yourself to God for that day. Surrender all your plans to Him, to be carried out or given up as His providence shall indicate. Thus, day by day you may be giving your life into the hands of God, and thus your life will be molded more and more after the life of Christ.”

Jesus lived day to day with God. All the things of this world will fade, but the blessings of God will remain and can be ours for eternity. These are the things to pursue. Life is short. Be blessed with God-today.