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Begin the Day Right

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Oct 27, 1904

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 81, No. 43.

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Begin the Day Right

By Fred Zappe

FRED ZAPPE
It is true that God desires that all should do his will, and live wholly for him, but he does not wish any of his children to worry and fret about how they will live for him one year, a month, or even a week. He asks us to live for him only by the day, just simply one day at a time. It is to-day, the present day, that we must overcome temptation, resist Satan, and have faith and courage, if we wish to be victorious in future days.
Let us be in earnest about living for God, while it is called To-day, lest our hearts be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. To all Jesus says, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” He who really tries, in the right way, to live for the Lord by the day will surely have a living experience in the things of God, and thus grow up into Christ hourly and daily.
“But,” some one may say, “I have tried living for the Lord by the day, and have only sadly failed.” Yes, this no doubt is very true in many cases, but the secret of all such failure is in the manner in which the day is begun. Begin to unwind at the wrong end a spool of thread, and the task will be difficult. Begin right, by getting hold of the right end of the thread, and it will unwind very easily. So it is in living for the Lord by the day. Begin the day wrong, and you are almost sure to be overcome by temptation; begin it right, and sin can not have dominion over you.
How can the day be begun just right? How can we begin the day in a way that will insure to us each hour the love, joy, peace, and rest which Jesus gives? The answer to these questions is found in the following instruction:—
“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 to-day 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.”