How To Make Today Really Count

In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it – John 1:4-5 NIV

The Father and Son both have something in common – Life in themselves – self-existence. All of creation, including us of course, can be considered “as becoming.” Nothing created by God is unchangeable. Only God has the attribute of immutability. Since He is self-existent and has life in Himself, and since He is eternal and infinite, He is also unchanging. All else that is not eternal around Him changes.

The bible says, “In God we live and move and exist” (Acts 17:28). In other words, we cannot do anything apart from God. Yes, even our breath comes from God – all of it. To say therefore that in Jesus was life is to attribute to Him the purest form of deity.

So let’s think about Jesus as having self-existence. What we normally take for granted until we have a heart-attack, stroke or in some way find it hard to breathe is life itself. How often do you thank God for the life you have? God is responsible for your physical life and eternal life.

Since we know that in Jesus is life, and since we have been given life, we can confidently conclude that life is a gift from God who has given to us the greatest gift of all and that is His Son. “He who has the Son has life and he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).

Every living being has the gift of life and to one extent God as a gift, since in God is life. But only believers have come to appreciate this gift of life found in the Person of Christ.

How valuable is salt? 40 million tons are required each year to fill our needs. Homer called it divine. Plato called it a "substance dear to the gods." Shakespeare mentioned salt 17 times in his plays. Perhaps Leonard da Vinci wanted to send a subtle message about purity lost when he painted "The Last Supper"; in that painting, an overturned salt cellar is conspicuously placed before Judas.

In ancient Greece, a far-flung trade involving the exchange of salt for slaves gave rise to the expression, "...not worth his salt." Special salt rations were given to Roman soldiers and known as "solarium argentums," the forerunner of the English word "salary." Thousands of Napoleon's troops died during his retreat from Moscow because their wounds would not heal—their bodies lacked salt.

The human body contains about 4 oz. of salt; without enough of it, muscles won't contract, blood won't circulate, food won't digest and the heart won't beat a beat. Without a doubt, salt is the essence of life. And Jesus said, "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matt. 5:13).

You are valuable because you have been given a truly valuable gift from God. Make this day count. Take time throughout this day to thank God for giving to you the gift of life. You have been given another day to make your appreciation to God really count.