Some Ordinary Day

Scripture: “And a voice spoke to him[Peter] again the second time, ‘What God has cleansed you must not call common.’”

We are spending a year of ordinary days this year….365 of them. Our lives are made up of ordinary days. Yet life is no ordinary thing. If we hold our ordinary days cheap – or count them common — we shall make an ordinary life. God’s word to Peter was, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.”(Acts 10:15 NKJV) Every ordinary day given to God and touched by Him is a sacrament.
Ordinary days develop crisis. It was an ordinary day of a Palestine summer when a mother’s cherished son went out into the harvest field with the reapers. Before noon, he was brought back to her, dying of a sunstroke. Happy for that mother that she had been in the habit of entertaining the prophet of God on ordinary days! She knew where to find him, and his prayer restored her son to life. The preparation for the emergency is the habit of the ordinary.
Any ordinary day may be the day that God will choose to make extraordinary. “Trust Your Great Moments” is a worthy slogan. The way to get ‘great moments’ of call or commission or revelation is to keep your ordinary days open to God.
It was a very ordinary day in a tax collector’s office. But the man at the desk was faithful and dependable and competent. Jesus came by and called, “Follow Me.”; and that day in Matthew’s life became a red-letter day for Him and for all who will read his Gospel for as long as time lasts.
It was an ordinary day on the farm; but God saw a young man doing a tedious job conscientiously as unto the Lord and selected Gideon for an exploit that was anything BUT ordinary. It was an ordinary day in the desert tending sheep – nothing could be less exciting; but Moses had a heart burdened with the need of His people, and he saw the bush burning with the Presence of God. That ordinary day turned the world upside down.
Just an “ordinary day” with its “ordinary private devotions.” It seems a simple routine. But suppose there had been no prayer time that day, with its opportunity for God to speak. Peter was on the housetop praying as his custom was, and God gave him the vision that opened the door for a “whosoever will” preaching of salvation without respect of persons. Suppose he had not been there to receive it.
An ordinary testimony meeting. …but Jesus came and stood in the midst of His disciples and said, “peace be unto you.” (Lk. 24:36) He says He will do that every time His followers meet, to the very end of the age. He does not plan for ordinary meetings.
An ordinary prayer meeting – the three had often gone aside with Christ. But this time on the mountain, Moses and Elias were present, and Christ revealed His glory. Another ordinary prayer meeting, in the garden, so ordinary that they fell asleep. But this time their Lord was in great need of their fellowship, and they failed – failed Him and failed themselves.
For the ordinary day can prove a day of sudden temptation. It did to Peter and James and John that night of Jesus’ trial. When we face one ordinary day we cannot guess what it will hold for us. To be safe, we need every morning to ask in earnest, “Lead us not into temptation.” Jesus was not playing with words when He gave us that prayer. Overpowering temptation comes unexpectedly and without warning – on an ordinary day.
It is on an ordinary day that the big opportunity comes, opportunity for success or failure. For a missed opportunity is a failure. The one difference between failure and success in life is keeping in touch daily, hourly with God by constant obedience. Then we shall not miss His appointments for us. With God there are no ordinary days.
Every ordinary day is precious beyond calculation. It might be the only one we have to give to our Lord for love and service here before He comes. If we knew this ordinary day we are now beginning would be the last one, how careful we should be to live it for Him! “What I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch,” lest coming suddenly He finds you sleeping. Let’s be alert and loving then, anticipating His marvelous, divine Presence in our “ordinary days.” Because Presence — His Presence matters most.