A Day Can Make A Big Difference

Warren Berkley & Dee Bowman

Worries that weighed heavy on your mind as you fell asleep do not seem as dreadful in the morning. Storms that seemed threatening at midnight have passed long before breakfast. It is a new day with new opportunities. If you didn’t do well today, tomorrow you have a chance to do better.

“What a difference a day makes. Twenty-four little hours brought the sun and the flowers, where there used to be rain,” (Grever Maria, Adams Stanley).

Are these just clever, motivational sentiments?

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,” (Eph. 4:26), and “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil,” (Eph. 5:16).

Yesterday’s attitudes and thoughts do not need to be resumed after a night’s sleep.

From Dee … 

In Ephesians 4:26–27, Paul commanded, “Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.” This passage is variously translated. Phillips renders it, “Don’t give the devil that sort of foothold.” Goodspeed’s translation says, “You must not give the devil a chance.” The Twentieth Century New Testament gives it, “And give no opportunity to the Devil.” The thought in all of these is the same: mainly, don’t give the Devil residency in your mind.

Someone has said, “You can’t keep the birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.” In the same way, you can’t keep the Devil from making periodic trips through your mind, but you don’t have to give him a place to stay.^[1]

^[1] Bowman, D. (1988). Front Lines: Competition for the Mind. Christianity Magazine, 5(8), 2.