“There are two days in my calendar: This day and that Day” ~ Martin Luther

The Bible has a lot to say about “this” day, meaning today:

We should rejoice today:

“This is the day the Lord has made; let’s rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

We should choose to worship the Lord today:

“But if it doesn’t please you to worship the Lord, choose for yourselves today…” (Joshua 24:15).

We should encourage each other today:

“But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin’s deception” (Hebrews 3:13).

In that sense, Christians are to live for today, for there is work to do today. Good work. Faithful work. Work that God has planned beforehand for us to do. We have, as Christians, the luxury of focusing on today because we can trust God with tomorrow. So as we are doing these things today, we are free from all kinds of anxiety about what comes next:

“Therefore don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).

Oh yes, the Bible has much to say about this day. But the Bible has much to say about that day as well:

“Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift your heads, because your redemption is near” (Luke 21:27-28).

These are the two days for the Christian – today, the day of faith and faithfulness, and that day when faith will be made sight. And these two days actually inform all the days in between. It’s not that we don’t have appointments, priorities, and to-do lists for tomorrow or next Thursday or 2022. But all those things must be held loosely. And though that might cause us a measure of angst, especially if we are “plan” and “goal” oriented, living with this day and that day in mind actually frees us. We are free to do life faithfully, redeeming the time, because we know God has already taken care of tomorrow. Furthermore, that day serves to reorient our priorities, determine our focus, and shape the way we spend our resources.

In other words, the reality of that day shapes the decisions of this day. And so it goes as tomorrow becomes today until all the tomorrows are used up.

Until then, Christian, we circle these two days in our minds and hearts, if not our calendars:

This day. And that day.