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<p>It is <em>life's largeness</em> which most discourages earnest and conscientious people. As they think deeply of life's <em>meaning </em>and <em>responsibility</em>, they are apt to be overwhelmed by the thought of its <em>vastness</em>. Life has manifold, almost infinite, relations toward God and toward man. Each of these relations has its binding duties. Every life has a divine mission to fulfil — a plan of God to work out. <br />
    <br />
    Every individual life must be lived amid countless antagonisms, and in the face of countless <em>perils</em>. <em>Battles </em>must be fought, <em>trials </em>encountered, and <em>sorrows </em>endured. <br />
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    Also, the <em>brief earthly course</em> — is but the beginning of an <em>endless existence</em>, whose immortal destinies hinge upon fidelity in the present life. <br />
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    Looked at in this way, as a <em>whole</em>, there is something almost appalling in the thought of<em> our responsibility in living</em>. <br />
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    Many a person who thinks of life in this aspect, and sees it in its <em>wholeness</em>, has not the courage to hope for success and victory — but stands staggered, well-near paralysed, on the threshold. Despair comes to many a heart when either <em>duty </em>or <em>sorrow </em>or <em>danger </em>is looked at — in the <em>aggregate</em>.<br />
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    But this is not the way we should view life. It does not come to us <em>all in one piece</em>. We do not get it even in <em>years</em> — but only in <em>days</em> — day by day. We look on before us, and as we count up the long years with their duties, struggles, and trials — and the <em>bulk </em>is like a <em>mountain </em>which no mortal can carry. But really, we never have more than: <br />
    one day's <em>battles </em>to fight, or <br />
    one day's <em>work </em>to do, or <br />
    one day's <em>burdens </em>to bear, or <br />
    one day's <em>sorrow </em>to endure, <br />
    in any one day.<br />
    <br />
    It is wonderful how the Bible gives emphasis to this way of viewing life. When for forty years God fed His chosen people with <em>bread from heaven</em>, He never gave them, except on the morning before the Sabbath, more than one day's portion at a time. He positively forbade them gathering more than would suffice for <em>the day</em>; and if they should violate His command, what they gathered above the daily portion, would become corrupt. Thus early, God began to teach His people to<strong> live only by the day</strong> — and trust Him for tomorrow. <br />
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    At the close of the forty years, the promise given to one of the tribes was, &quot;As your <strong><em>days</em></strong> — so shall your <em>strength </em>be.&quot; Deuteronomy 33:25. Strength was not promised in<em>advance</em> — enough for <em>all of life</em>, or even for a <em>year</em>, or for a <em>month</em> — but the promise was, that for <em>each day</em>, when it came with its own needs, duties, battles and grief's — enough strength would be given. As the <em>burden </em>increased — more strength would be imparted. <br />
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    The important thought here is, that strength is not emptied into our hearts in <em>bulk</em> — a <em>supply </em>for years to come — but is kept in reserve, and given <em>day by day</em>, just as the day's needs require.<br />
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    When Christ came, He gave still further emphasis to the same method of living. He said, &quot;So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today!&quot; Matthew 6:34. He would have us <em>fence </em>off the days by themselves, and never look over the fence to think about tomorrow's cares. <br />
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    The thought is, that <strong>each day </strong>is, in a certain sense — <strong>a complete life by itself</strong>. It has . . .<br />
    its own duties,<br />
    its own trials,<br />
    its own burdens, <br />
    its own needs. <br />
    It has enough to fill our heart and hands for the one full day. The very best we can do for any day, for the perfecting of our life as a whole — is to<strong> live the one day well</strong>. We should put all our <em>thought </em>and <em>energy </em>and <em>skill </em>into the duty of each day, wasting no strength — either in grieving over <em>yesterday's failures</em>, or in anxiety about <em>tomorrow's responsibilities</em>.<br />
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    Our Lord, also, in the form of prayer which He gave his disciples, taught <strong>this lesson of</strong> <strong>living only by the day</strong>. There He has told us to ask for <em>bread — </em>for one day only. &quot;Give us this day our<em> daily bread</em>.&quot; He again teaches us that we have to do only with the <em>present </em>day. We do not need <em>tomorrow's</em> bread now. When we need it — it will be soon enough to ask God for it, and get it. It is the 'manna lesson' over again. God is caring for us, and we are to trust Him for the supply of all our needs — as they press upon us. We are to trust Him, content to have only enough in hand for the day.<br />
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    If we can but learn to thus <strong>live by the day</strong>, without anxiety about the future — the <em>burden </em>will not be so crushing. We have nothing to do with <em>life in the aggregate</em> — that great bulk of <em>duties</em>, <em>responsibilities</em>, <em>struggles</em>, and <em>trials — </em>which belong to a course of years. We really have nothing to do even with the nearest of the days before us — tomorrow.<em> Our sole business is with the one little day</em>, now passing. Its burdens will not crush us — we can easily carry them until the sun goes down. We can always get along for one short day. It is the projection of life into the long future, which dismays and appals us. <strong>This lesson makes life easy and simple!</strong>
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