Encouragement for Today

May 1, 2025 Don’t Underestimate the Opportunity Called “Today” LYSA TERKEURST Lee en español

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Isn’t it funny how time passes quickly, but a lot of our days sometimes look the same?

We go to the grocery store to buy food for our family, just to have to go again next week. We help our kids or grandkids put together a puzzle, and then have to break it apart and put it back in the box. We hear about other people’s accomplishments and compare them to our lives, wondering if we’re making any difference at all.

In the middle of our routine, everyday tasks, it can feel like we’re missing out on fulfilling a much bigger purpose or assignment. With a desperate sigh at the dailiness of life, we get to the end of these days, thinking, Is this all there is to my life? Or does God have something more for me?

Scripture tells us that God has set eternity in our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We know it. We feel it.

It’s a sacred stirring — we sense it so deeply that we know it’s not an inkling of our imagination but rather an igniting of God’s revelation. God is pointing us in the direction of something. A blurry vision of how our seemingly mundane lives could change the world.

The ordinary can be so very, very holy. If we are obedient to God in the midst of our ordinary lives, extraordinary impact is always possible.

When we get to heaven, I think we’ll be surprised by what actually mattered the most. What actually changed the world. What actually fulfilled the purpose for which we were created. And the small places we showed up and served in obedience will actually be what prompts Jesus to say, “Well done. Remember when you took the time to share encouraging words with someone who needed them? That’s the day you helped change the world.”

Friend, you have a unique and wondrous calling from God every day of your life. We find this truth spelled out clearly in Ephesians 2:10: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Today it could be in the line at the post office; tomorrow it could be a phone conversation with a friend. Wherever it is, whatever it is, remember: You were created to participate in God’s divine activity.

We don’t know how our lives could impact eternity. How our stories could unfold; how our talents, gifts and resources could be used; and how God could redeem what feels purposeless in the everyday to bring hope to a world that desperately needs it.

God made the very DNA of your being to carry His hope and bless the world with it. Your life has never been and will never be wasted in the hands of our Creator. Every aspect has purpose, and every moment has potential extraordinary impact … even when you cannot see it.

So take what feels ordinary and place it into God’s hands. Ask Him how He would like to use it. Ask Him to reveal who needs the extra dose of encouragement today, and ask Him to help you see others’ needs as you journey along the path He has called you to.

One way you can make a difference today is by giving a donation to Proverbs 31 Ministries so that we can continue to meet you and other women like you with free, biblical resources, like this daily devotion. If you’d like to partner together, you can find out more information below.

Now, let’s pray:

Dear Lord, thank You for wanting to use me today. Even if my everyday moments feel insignificant, I know You will use them for great impact. I need Your help as I learn to say “yes” to Your calling on my life to participate in Your divine activity. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” (NIV).

God has set eternity in our hearts — meaning when we instinctively ache for more, it’s a longing set inside us from the moment we were created. Today, when you feel that longing, ask God how He can use you to build His Kingdom.

We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comments.

© 2025 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.