Each New Day – From Worry To Glory

Lessons Learned from My Sickness Part 26: One Fine Day

Castlepoint Lighthouse at Wairarapa NZ — *One fine day with God at Castlepoint Lighthouse, Wairarapa NZ. Photo by Jade Mark Jarbadan*

How do you define a fine day? Perhaps to many of us, a fine day is a day that is devoid of any problems, burdens or cares.

Everything you encountered provides you joy, blessings, entertainment, and gives you a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment. That’s why people who encountered such kind of day blurts with excitement, “You have made my day!”

One of the most common greetings I heard from people who came to visit me was, “How’s your day?”

I’m grateful that they are so concerned about my situation and that they would like to know whether I still find joy, meaning, hope and peace in that particular day.

My ready answer to that is of course, “I have a fine day! Or, “My day is fine!” This is because I do not look at the negative circumstances surrounding me on a particular day in order to make my judgment, but I focus on God’s goodness and grace which enables me to appreciate the new day that God gave me.

The fact that I still woke up to a new day is already a great reason for me to say that my day is fine!

Proverbs 11: 27 says, “He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.”

In other words, we will be able to define our day as a fine day by looking at all the positive things that God gave us and learn to celebrate that day by affirming God’s goodness and faithfulness.

But if we focus our attention to all the negative, hard, evil aspects of the day then that’s how we will also perceive our day – negative, hard and evil.

Ever since I discovered this verse, I learned to focus on searching the good things that God prepared for me on that particular day.

For what you seek, you will find! Have a fine day everyone!

Posted on FB: 18 March 2015 – 8:41 PM

About the Author

Rev. Ronny Luces is the Minister for Administration and Community Service of Jaro Evangelical Church (JEC), Iloilo City, Philipines. He and wife, Martha have been with JEC’s ministry since 1994.

Pastor Ronny graduated from Central Philippine University College of Theology in 1985 and was pastor of several Baptist churches.

In January 2015, after tests and two long hospital confinements, Pastor Ronny got the word he has lung cancer. He is undergoing chemotherapy.

Praying for healing and going through all the medical processes, Pastor Ronny writes his reflections “Lessons Learned from My Sickness”.

May Pastor Ronny’s series of reflections and meditations strengthen your hope and faith as you go through your own life’s battles. Please pray for Pastor Ronny’s healing.

Lessons Learned from My Sickness Part 8: Live One Day at a Time

Ronny Luces reflections — *God’s mercies are new every morning*

In the past, I used to look at this statement as only a cliche or an often repeated slogan.

My point of view which I held for so long was to look at life in its strategic or long-term perspective.

I used to lead many associations, groups, church congregations, community-based people’s organizations in formulating strategic plans and identifying long-term targets and goals.

I am not comfortable with looking at life as only a daily experience.

For me, the proper way of facing life’s challenges and appreciating it’s myriad and mysterious potentials was to be forward-looking, always thinking about tomorrow, and bracing myself for the future.

My sickness brought me down to reality.

No wonder, Christ said in Matthew 6:34, Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.

I discovered that ‘living one day at a time’ is the essence of a meaningful experience. It is not routinary nor it offers only a meaningless repetition.

Each day is NEW. Have you noticed it? There’s nothing yesterday that’s exactly repeated today.

The sun that rises is the same but it shines differently. The chirping of the birds is new, the breeze that gently blows its life-giving oxygen is new, the warm company of loved ones is new.

So learn to appreciate each new day with its many potentials.

Learn to focus on things around you or you will miss many beautiful encounters.

As Lamentation 3:22-23 says, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are NEW every morning; great is thy faithfulness.”

Have a blessed day everyone!

Posted on FB: 5 March 2015 – 1:00 PM

About the Author

Rev. Ronny Luces was the Minister for Administration and Community Service of Jaro Evangelical Church (JEC), Iloilo City, Philipines. He, his wife, Martha and daughter, Ronamae have been with JEC’s ministry since 1994.

Pastor Ronny graduated from Central Philippine University College of Theology in 1985 and was pastor of several Baptist churches.

In January 2015, after tests and two long hospital confinements, Pastor Ronny got the word he had lung cancer. He underwent chemotherapy.

Praying for healing and going through all the medical processes, Pastor Ronny started writing his reflections “Lessons Learned from My Sickness.”

On 9 July 2015, Pastor Ronny rested his earthly life.

May Pastor Ronny’s series of reflections and meditations strengthen your hope and faith as you go through your own life’s battles.