• Leslie Wilber •
• Originally published January 23, 2009 at 5:31 p.m., updated January 23, 2009 at 5:31 p.m.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

This little passage from Scripture has a lot to say to us about where we should live our lives. Sometimes we live our lives in the past. Sometimes we say things like, "I wish I could have or would have" or, "If only I could turn back the clock."

We may wish we could go back to the starting blocks of many opportunities or events in our lives, but the truth is that time no longer belongs to us.

We can't go back in time and do it all over again, do it better, make fewer mistakes.

What we can do is give that time to God and know that for the sake of Jesus, God no longer holds those things against us.

In the same way, any resentment, grudge or feelings of anger we have toward others because of past actions or mistakes, are also something we must give to God. God wants us to forgive, let go and move on.

We also like to live in the future. You know what I mean. We say things like someday I will lose weight, go to that place, learn something new, get right with God, forgive someone.

We need to remember that someday is today. We have no authority over tomorrow.

We cannot rely on the future as if it is an unrestricted account with unlimited reserves. It is good to live as if the future is now.

We can, however, take heart that the future, whatever it holds, is in God's hand. The Apostle Paul believed that and so he wrote: "For I am convinced neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future ... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

So that leaves us with today. Today is the most important day of our lives. When we concentrate on this day and fill our hearts with thanksgiving to the Lord, then we get our eyes off ourselves, and we put them back on God.

You can't live fruitfully in the past, though you can launch from it. It is forgiven.

You can't live in the future, though God does. Live then for today.

The Rev. Chris Johnson is pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Victoria.

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