One day at a time

We express concern about the weather forecast ... for tonight, for tomorrow, for Saturday, but Jesus says in Matthew 6: 34: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

We are to Prepare
To Plan
To Pray
To Proceed
and To Trust God to Provide

Not just practical things, but our feelings as well - the emotions that churn within us because of thoughts that go through our mind. Thoughts like ... well, I'm not going to go there. We all have them, revolving around money, housing, transportation, bills, taxes, clothing, illness, hospitalization, disease, death, schooling, employment, food, etc., etc. Our thoughts can run rampant causing us to become caught up in every "what if" that comes our way.

If we are to be obedient to the Lord's command to not worry about tomorrow then we must stay tuned, focused squarely on Jesus.

PREPARE. How? Spend time daily with the Lord, reading His word, meditating on what He is saying to us, how it applies to us.

PLAN. Long-range and short-range. Break huge projects into day-size pieces. Make lists. Planning can help prevent us from becoming overwhelmed with the hugeness of a given task.

PRAY. Give God everything ... yourself, things in your life, people in your life.

Elizabeth "Liz" George, author of "Loving God with All Your Mind" (the Bible book study I am currently in), says Giving God everything means giving Him myself, my things and the people I care about as well as the physical, practical and emotional concerns of my life.

Then it is His to do with as He likes. George then gives God her plan for the day. Giving the plan to God makes that His as well to do with as He likes. His plan for you may not be the same plan you have. If His plan is what is preferred over your own, He will give us alternative directions for us to follow.

PROCEED. Whatever the plan -- we make our plan, our schedule of things we want or need to accomplish that day; we pray about it; we give it to the Lord; then we proceed with it, unless the Lord tells us differently.

In proceeding, we need to recognize that not every intervention is from the Lord. Satan, our own selfish desires sometimes so overpower us that we determine we're doing things our way and no other. When this happens, we need to command Satan to leave us. In Matthew 16:23, Jesus tells us, "Get behind Me Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

TRUST GOD TO PROVIDE.

Do not worry about tomorrow.
There is enough in today.
I have to get through today.
How can I
if I'm constantly thinking about tomorrow?
I can prepare and
I can plan for tomorrow,
pray for tomorrow,
but today is where I am.

Today.
Where are you today? How will you function today? Are you relying on God's wisdom and strength or on your own power?

We need to keep our emotions in check, not allow thoughts and feelings to overtake our day. It is not easy, but when / as we proceed in faith and obedience, as we keep our focus on today, as we expect to see God at work in our life along the way ... God provides for us. Whatever the challenge, the task, the trial, the crisis, the interruption, God provides for our needs. Every single one. Today and tomorrow. One day at a time.

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." - James 4: 8a