Have you ever felt like you woke up on the wrong day? Maybe it was a day where everything around you seemed to be going wrong, and you wished you could just press fast-forward until the sun went down. It can be easy to feel this way. We all have bad days sometimes. But the next time you do, I want you to pause and ask yourself something. Whatever day that day is, ask yourself: “Will there ever be another one like this?” The answer is no. Time moves on, and we move on with it. The sun sets, and the page is turned. We don’t get any do-overs.

While that might be a sobering reminder of the weight of each day, there’s another way to look at it. In Psalm 118, the psalmist reminds us that, “This is the day that the Lord has made…” and then goes on to tell us what to do about that: “…let us rejoice, and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118: 24, NASB).

While our eternal life is hid with Christ on high, we aren’t guaranteed any exact number of days here on earth. Each day we wake up is an incredible gift from our heavenly Father, and we ought to always treat it as such. We must take advantage of each day as its own unique opportunity to glorify our triune God and join with him in being witnesses in words and deeds to his eternal work of the renewal of all things.

Some days will bring trouble. Jesus promises as much in John 16:33, when he says, “in this world you will have trouble.” But then he goes on, explaining, “…take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Whatever each day brings, it’s a gift to be embraced with all of the other gifts God has given us — our time, talents, energy, and resources. We are called to engage each day with gratefulness and joy, remembering what the psalmist said: this is the day the Lord has made. Not tomorrow. Not yesterday. Today. Will you rejoice, be glad in it, and gratefully jump into it with excitement at the opportunity God has given you? I hope so, because if there’s one thing I can promise you, it’s that whatever day this is for you… there will never be another one like it!

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.