Last Tuesday, February 9th, I was doing my morning reading and read Psalm 40. As I finished it and marked it off, it occurred to me that 10% of 2010 is completed. 40 days...Biblically significant, yes?

My mind took me to New Year’s resolutions. What about goals and plans for 2010? How many have completely forgotten their plans? Good intentions really do line the road to where we do not want to be and yet, each day many continue down that path. (Some say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results).

We live in a day when we are schooled to make lists: of what to do each day, what to achieve, what to purchase. These are important, but are they most important?

Before we make plans for what we’ll do each day, we should plan on who we will be that day.

In his book, Today Matters, John Maxwell tells the story of Oscar Wilde, whom Karen Kenyon (British Heritage magazine) called “our most quotable writer” after Shakespeare. His talent, popularity, and wealth were great; yet, this great writer died bankrupt and broken, at age 46.

What happened?

From jail he wrote about his life and what he did to himself in a self-destructive lifestyle. “I forgot that every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character....”. His realization came too late.

Today is one of God’s greatest gifts to us. Jesus told the repentant thief on the cross, “...today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

When Moses was addressing Israel regarding the covenant, “See, I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil.” (Deuteronomy 30:15)

In his great speech as the Promised Land was given them, Joshua told the people, “....choose this day whom you will serve...” (Joshua 24:15

There is power and blessing in the realization of today. Benjamin Franklin said, “One today is worth two tomorrows; what I am to be, I am now becoming”.

And those are mighty words to live by....today.