WHAT WILL YOU DO WITH THIS NEW DAY BLESSED BY THE LORD?
__________________________________________________
Do you awaken each morning with the weight of your world resting heavily upon you? Do all your regrets, disappointments, failures, problems, worries, dreads crush down upon you?
“Wake up, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” – Ephesians 5:14
As believers, we have the privilege of waking up to a new dawn each morning with the light of Christ shining upon us. Our yesterdays are gone. Today is a blessed new day… rich with opportunities, possibilities, wonders. We are refreshed, renewed… ready to face the day with our Lord by our side.
Too often, though, the morning light can quickly turn overcast. Like a raincloud hovering over just us, all the promises of God for the day appear to be washed away by its raindrops. We allow our cares and woes to take over… leaving us disheartened, dispirited… overwhelmed by the burdens of life.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24
A new dawn awakens… what will you do with this day that the Lord has planned and blessed just for you?
When we remember the blessings we have in Christ, each new dawn opens up for us…
⇒ A New Start
“To you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.” – Malachi 4:2
A new day unfolds before us… a clean slate. A new chapter in our life stories awaits. Our God is ever willing to bless us abundantly. At first light, we lay all our sins and failures at the foot of His throne, asking for His promised forgiveness.
Jesus heals our yesterdays. This day will not be shackled by the days before. We pray for a closer walk with Him. We ask Him to align our lives with His… to not stray from His will. For He promises His abundance to all who walk in His ways… who never fail to seek to honor Him.
⇒ A New Light
“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.” – Isaiah 60:1
As we awaken from the darkness of our yesterdays, we walk in the light of the Lord. We view life in the radiance of Christ. His eternal love comforts, nurtures, encourages and fortifies us for the day ahead.
Each morning, we lay all our cares and concerns before our Lord… the weight of our world, the burdens that encumber. For He promises to be our Burden Bearer. The darkness that oppressed is illuminated by His light. As our dread of the day lifts off, we sense His serenity and joy filling our hearts.
⇒ A New Outlook
“He is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.” – 2 Samuel 23:4
Every morning, we have the Son shining down upon us. Each day is a fresh, new day… a new beginning… a new chance at life. What opportunities lie ahead when we allow our eyes to be opened. When we look ahead to the day with anticipation and expectation. When we keep our eyes on the Lord, not ourselves. And when we focus on what is before us rather than what is behind… living each day as a blessing from heaven.
⇒ A New Hope
“The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” – Matthew 4:16
Jesus is the light that has dawned in our lives. He is our Living Hope. Each new day in His presence, we sense a freshness in the air… a sparkling anticipation of what He has in store for us. We ask that our eyes be open to those He brings our way… offering us chances to be kind, to be compassionate… to shower His love upon parched and needy souls. To be the person of Christ in a secular world.
⇒ A New Promise
“The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.” – Proverbs 4:18
Each break of dawn reveals new opportunities, prospects, options. We actively await new experiences, happenings, occasions in our lives. We seek the Lord in expectant faith for breakthroughs. For He will shatter the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron that are keeping us from His perfect will (Isaiah 45:2). He will level our mountains, remove the obstacles from our paths and clear our way for the day that lies ahead.
⇒ A New Power
“Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” – Isaiah 58:8
Jesus is the light of our dawns… our Morning Star. His righteousness conferred on us will guide us through our day. He promises His power and providence to be our protection. We cast off the works of darkness and put on His armor of light (Romans 13:12). He will surround us with His holy angels. His peaceful presence will keep us grounded for whatever we may encounter. He will empower us to face the day with confident faith and expectation of His perfect will to unfold.
⇒ A New Peace
“A new day will dawn on us from above because our God is loving and merciful. He will give light to those who live in the dark and in death’s shadow. He will guide us into the way of peace.” – Luke 1:78-79
Dawn’s new light brightens the day before us… a day ripe with possibilities. We pray for receptivity to His divine revelations to guide our choices and decisions. Our faith rests in our merciful God. We look to Him for new directions, options, openings that will lead us along the path to His very best… toward His heavenly plan for our lives.
