Happy New Day!
“Happy New … DAY…?”That’s right! “Happy New DAY!” That is the first thought that every Christian ought to strive to:wake up with every morning; make their own personal theme for the entire day; and share with everyone they meet throughout each new day – no matter what day,week, time, or year it happens to be – because we know without a doubt, that our Lord’s mercy and compassion upon us never wavers, fluctuates, or fails to be “new every morning” (Lam. 3:22-23). His great love, mercy, compassion and forgiveness is the only reason we are not consumed by His wrath,and therefore enjoy continual hope (See: Lam. 3:21-26) – no matter what morning it is, or how the day’s earthly news may seek to beset or up set us.
Thank the Lord of all for each day He blesses us with.
We know from God’s word that each and every new day is nothing short of a fantastic, one-of-a-kind, never to come again, God-given gift to heartily celebrate and appreciate; Psalm 118:24 stating that “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.” We also rejoice in the fact that throughout each and every new day, new moment, and new situation that we are given by our God to experience, that “The Lord is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails…” (Zeph. 3:5).It was David who similarly confirmed, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits…” (Psa. 68:19), subsequently stating elsewhere: “So I will sing praise to your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows” (Psa. 61:8). Yes, it is obvious that God’s Old Testament faithful understood the infinite value of the priceless gift of each new day.
We also, as God’s New Testament children, people, kingdom, and priests (1 Ptr. 2:9-10), should arise to “stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord” (1 Chron. 23:30) just the same as His Old Testament priests and servants the Levites did (See: 1 Chron. 23:27-30). Only we should do so on a much deeper level, as we have been given a much better covenant with God,through the shed blood of Jesus our Lord(Hebs. 7:18-8:13).
Our faithful first-century brethren also experienced the infinite value, happiness, and appreciation of each new God-given day as they broke bread from house to house, and ate their meals together “with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people,” to the extent that the Lord was able to add “to the church daily” those who saw their daily happiness thus wanted to be saved too (Acts 2:46-47). “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (Acts 5:42);“So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily” (Acts 16:5). Our first-century brethren loved and showed their heart-felt appreciation to God for His great love and forgiveness on a daily basis. They did so by searching the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11); reasoning from the Scriptures with those not yet Christians daily (Acts 17:17, 19:9); and exhorting one another as Christians on a daily basis as well, so that their brethren would not lose heart and give up and in to sin (Acts 3:13). And they did all of this despite the absolutely life and death physical, political, and persecutorial distractions of their day.
So… over the next few days, if anyone wishes you a “Happy New Year,” return their greeting with a “Happy New Day” … and then tell them how to continually have one each and every day for the rest of their earthly lives in Christ Jesus our Lord (Prov. 16:20, 28:14, 29:18)!