Today (Sunday, February 29, 2004) is a rather unique day. It’s that “extra day” we get in February every four years, except when the year’s calendar number is evenly divisible by 100 (unless it’s also evenly divisible by 400, which is why 2000 was an unusual leap year). It’s also that rare fifth Sunday in February that rolls around only every seventh leap year, or every 28 calendar years. The last time we had five Sundays in February was in 1976, and it won’t occur again until 2032, if the Lord withholds Judgment until then.

Of course, the concept of an “extra day” is merely an illusion of the calendar. We add an additional day every fourth year because the earth’s orbit around the sun (the period by which we define a year) is slightly more than six hours longer than our standard year of 365 24-hour days. Every fourth year, therefore, we’ve “built up” an extra 24 hours, which we combine as an extra day in February to keep the calendar and its seasons consistent.

Illusion or not, we like the idea of getting an extra day. More time is always appealing, in part because we often don’t maximize our use of the time we already have. For most of us, getting an extra day to do something generally means we can put off doing anything for one more day, rather than having time to actually go above and beyond our previous goals.

I suspect that is, in part, why God chose not to reveal to us the date of this world’s conclusion, or even the span of our own lives in it. If we knew the exact time of the end, we’d forestall taking any action until the very last minute. If, for example, God had stated that every person ever born would expire on his or her 75th birthday, we wouldn’t get serious about our soul’s salvation until we’d lived out 74 years, 11 months, if then. We might even wait right up until the day before birthday #75 before leaping headlong into righteous obedience.

Which makes the earthly ministry of Jesus all the more remarkable. From the time of His baptism by John the immerser until His crucifixion, Jesus lived somewhat more than three years. During that time, so far as we can determine from Scripture, He devoted every day to accomplishing His work of heralding the kingdom of God and preparing his disciples for the salvation He would enact through his death and resurrection. Surely Jesus knew the very second of His departure from this life, but He wasted not a moment in preparing for it.

Contrast the diligence of Christ to the less positive example of Hezekiah, king of Judah. When the prophet Isaiah revealed to Hezekiah that the king’s death was imminent, Hezekiah prayed to God that his life might be spared. In mercy, God granted Hezekiah not merely an extra day, but an additional 15 years (2 Kings 20:1-6). What did Hezekiah do with the additional time? Some good things — he built an aqueduct to bring water into Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30) — but also some very foolish things, such as boastfully displaying Judah’s wealth to the prince of Babylon, an act that would in later years lead to the captivity of the Jewish nation (2 Kings 20:12-18).

As the inspired historian writes, “But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 32:25). In short, Hezekiah made poor use of his extra days, and his people suffered as a result.

Children of God should count every day our heavenly Father grants us as precious. We should face each day as did the Psalmist who said, “This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24).

So what will you do with your “extra day” today? Will you spend it wisely in worship to the Lord, as though it were your last day on earth? Will you take every opportunity today to worship God — morning and evening? Or will you “put in your time” before 12:15 p.m., and take the rest of the day for yourself? Will you use the whole day to encourage those around you, or discourage them by your cavalier attitude toward the services of the church? Will you use today like Jesus would, or like Hezekiah?

God has seen fit to give you this day He’s made. Even one day in His service is better than a thousand spent elsewhere (Psalm 84:10).