A Missed Today

Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were created, before you made the earth and the world, you are God, without beginning or end. You turn people back to dust, saying, "Return to dust!" For you, a thousand years are as yesterday! They are like a few hours! You sweep people away like dreams that disappear or like grass that springs up in the morning. In the morning it blooms and flourishes, but by evening it is dry and withered. We wither beneath your anger; we are overwhelmed by your fury. You spread out our sins before you-- our secret sins--and you see them all. We live our lives beneath your wrath. We end our lives with a groan. Seventy years are given to us! Some may even reach eighty. But even the best of these years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we are gone. Who can comprehend the power of your anger? Your wrath is as awesome as the fear you deserve. Teach us to make the most of our time, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalm 90:1-12 NLT). Our reading this morning is sub-titled “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” It deals with living in the present. Understanding the writer helps me to understand the impact of the psalm. I wonder how many times that Moses prayed these words while he led the people in the march through the desert? Certainly that could have caused him to wonder if he had made the right choices in life. Second-guessing and hoping for tomorrow only robs us of our present joy. Benjamin Franklin said, "One today is worth two tomorrows." His words point out a real danger for all of us: while dreaming about a better tomorrow, we can make the mistake of neglecting today. The following poem illustrates this truth: There was a very cautious man Who never laughed or played. He never risked, he never tried, He never sang or prayed. And when he one day passed away, His insurance was denied. For since he never really lived, They claimed he never died. That man went through the motions, and never really enjoyed life. We can do the same. Psychologist William James said that, "Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our possible mental and physical resources. The human individual . . . possesses powers of various sorts he habitually fails to use." Thus, James discussed in professional terms what the poem talks about. Both describe people who go through the motions, hoping that somehow things will be better tomorrow. Unfortunately, they miss many good aspects of life because they fail to make the most of each day. I read somewhere that yesterday is a canceled check, and tomorrow is a promissory note. But today is cash, ready for us to spend in living. How are you spending today? Remember that one today is worth two tomorrows.