“For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Matthew 24:38-39
Common Days
How could Moses know when he awoke that certain day, and yawned and stretched and ate his breakfast and tended his flocks as he always did, that he would meet God at a burning bush, and stand on holy ground that very day? (Exodus 3)
How could the woman with the 12-year flow of blood know when she awoke that certain day, and confronted the facts yet again of her aloneness and uncleanness and hopelessness of ever having a normal life, just like she always did, that she would be healed that very day? (Matthew 9)
How could Peter know when he awoke that certain day, and saw the most uncommon things happen of healings and miracles, that he would walk on water that very night? (Matthew 14)
How could Jonah know when he awoke that certain day on a ship tossing and turning in the storm, as his own soul tossed and turned and wrestled with what God had told him to do, that he would be thrown into the stormy sea and be swallowed by a great fish that very day? (Jonah 1)
How could Mary know when she awoke on that certain day, and greeted her parents as they awoke, and fed her donkey and milked her goat just as she always did, that she would be impregnated by the Holy Spirit with the Son of God that very day? (Matthew 1)
How could I know when I awoke on that certain Sunday, and yawned and stretched and had my coffee as I always do, that my son and his wife would be drawn by the Holy Spirit to dedicate their lives to the Lord, and that they would go to the altar to pray, and my many prayers would be answered that very day?
How will we know when we awaken to a common day, and do what we always do, and expect what we always expect, and yet it is the very day we will hear the trumpets and see our Lord’s face at last?
We can awaken to common days where we do what we always do, and expect what we always expect, and yet the Lord moves mightily in that day, and gives us what we do not expect, and changes our life forever.
Or we can awaken to impossibly hard days where we do not want to even open our eyes, nor face what we are expecting—the disappointment, the fear, the grief, the question, the longing we face every day—and yet the Lord can move mightily in that day, and give us what we do not expect, and change our life forever.
Amy Carmichael says, “Do not settle down into an attitude of ‘It will never be different.’ It will be different if only, in earnest, we ‘follow on to know the Lord’ (Hosea 6:3).”*
Oh Lord, we know, even if we don’t see, that You have great things planned. We await Your mighty works. Amen.
His mercies are NEW every morning and I am grateful for this!
Ahh I love this. Thank you for reminding me to be expectant of what God will do today instead of fearful and anxious.
Follow on. Do not settle.
A dear friend of mine always says to never stop being thankful for common days. In times of great strife, it’s the common days we yearn for the most. Such a great perspective.
Learn to expect great things from God every day. He is always working in our lives.