Today is a Gift from God

This bright new day is a gift from God!

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day the Lord hath made;

                                           Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

The too-common feeling of being overwhelmed: Another day, another thousand things to do! Panic begins. I want to rejoice but I can’t because I am too overwhelmed by the mountain range of responsibilities that comprise my life. Doing all I need to do this day seems impossible. My list is long, my schedule full, my calendar booked. People, commitments, deadlines, housework, errands, needs - my list seems endless. Life is crowded, complex, and challenging. There is always so much to do.  Anyone with me?

Mt. 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

       I am only as busy as I allow myself to be.

 I have 24 hours to do my things just like everyone else does.

 God will never give me more than I can do!

THE PROBLEM IS ME.


       I’m studying a book “Loving God with All Your Mind”
by Elizabeth George

and here are some things I have found to be very helpful.

Guideline #1: Prepare

Prepare in the evening for the next day.

Prepare in the morning; set the tone for the day.

Mark 1:35 “..in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out to a lonely place, and was praying there.”

Mark 1:37 “…everyone is looking for you.” Jesus’ time was demanded by many. Do I ever feel like everyone is looking for me? Depending on me? Clamoring for my time?

Mark 1:38 Jesus told the disciples “…let us go somewhere else and preach.”

He was not controlled by the crowds and demands. He had obtained His orders for the day and obeying them took priority of the seemingly urgent needs of the crowds. It is easy for us to fall into the trap of other people’s plans for us and the tyranny of the urgent. In his quiet time along with God before the sun rose, Jesus acquired His focus for the day and let it shape His plans.

Guideline #2: Plan Ahead

With long-range planning, we can break large projects into day-sized pieces, an approach which can keep us from feeling overwhelmed by the ultimate goal. “Eat your elephant one bite at a time.”

Make lists!

Guideline #3: Pray

As I prepare and plan, I need to also be praying!

Audibly pray: “Lord, today I give myself anew to you.”

Give God the things in my life- my home, my possessions, my time, my body, my mind.

Give God the people in my life - my spouse, my children, my family members, my friends.

God is all wise, all powerful, loving, and able to take care of the people as well as the things in my life. I need to acknowledge His ability, and when I do, I experience His peace. All of these are His to do with as He likes.

Give God my schedule. Committing my plans to God helps me fight the battle against impulsiveness and laziness. It helps me be more sensitive to His leading and to do something other than what I planned. Although I have a plan, I want God’s will for my life. I therefore hold loosely and stand ready to defer to what He would have me during the course of the day.

Guideline #4: Proceed

Ancient wisdom reminds me that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Guideline #5: Trust God to Provide

As I proceed in faith and obedience, keeping my focus on today and expecting to see God at work in my life along the way, and amazing thing happens. I find that, whatever the challenge, task, trial, crisis, or interruption, God provides for me!

Whatever happens, God provides wisdom.

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

Whatever happens, God provides His strength.

Phil. 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”

Deut. 33:25b “…your strength will equal your days.”

II Peter 1:3a “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness…”
Whatever happens, God will provide all I need.
Phil. 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Step out today in trust as I walk through this day with the Lord. 

Not a day will go by without me experiencing His care.

Preparing, planning, praying, and proceeding

enable us to experience God’s provision for s

amid the practical details of daily living.

Today really is a bright, new gift from God.

I can and will rejoice and be glad in it!

The Most Glorious Hope!

What happens to departed believers? Can we know in part but perhaps not all the details? Something about death is so mysterious and yet, God has given us verses that give us a glimpse into the future. Perhaps in light of several recent deaths of people that I know and then our Sunday School lesson yesterday, I have been thinking a lot about the

Believer’s Most Glorious Hope!

I Thess. 4:13 - “I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep…”

Are departed believers literally just ‘sleeping’ somewhere? Is death just a state of semi-consciousness, an existence somewhat like a deep sleep? I heard this insinuated at a funeral one time and it troubled me greatly. Is that a Scriptural teaching? I think Scripture would indicate differently…

Luke 23:43 - Jesus told the thief on the cross “TODAY you will be with me in paradise.”

II Cor. 5:6-8 Paul says, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

Phil. 1:23 Paul again says he desires to depart and to be with Christ.

These Scriptures would say that departed believers are with the Lord, living face to face with Him. Even though we may not fully understand exactly where Paradise is we can be assured that they are in the presence of God.

“Asleep” is simply a word to describe their departure from this world. It is a picture of resting from the trials and sufferings of this world.

Further in I Thess. 4:13 Jesus says He does not want us to sorrow as those who have no hope. What an INDESCRIBABLE GIFT to know that as believers, we will see each other again. I cannot imagine the hopelessness of not having that assurance. Jesus was well acquainted with grief. When Lazarus died, He wept. It’s okay to grieve and to weep, but we should not sorrow excessively as though we have no hope of a coming reunion day.

I Thess. 4:15 - “Them that are asleep (at rest) in Jesus will God bring with Him when He returns.”

v. 16 - What an event this will be!! Picture it with me…

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout (I cannot help but believe that this is a shout that will be heard in every corner of the world!), with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God…”

Just imagine that! Some day this is really, actually going to happen! A shout, a voice of the archangel, and a trumpet….I don’t doubt it will have our full attention! The whole universe…both earth and heaven, believers, unbelievers, and angels.

“…then the dead in Christ will rise first; then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.”

Picture that with me…the departed believers being joined to their buried bodies, rising with transformed, incorruptible bodies, and right behind them are those of us who are alive in Christ, millions joined together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air! Again, I don’t think there will be anything secretive about this event…I believe “every eye shall see Him.” Rev. 1:7

Our present bodies are corruptible- they age, deteriorate, die, decay, and decompose. Until Jesus returns, every earthly body will someday return to the earth. But on that day we will receive incorruptible bodies! A heavenly transformation, a perfect body that will never age, deteriorate, die, decay, or decompose - completely free from defilement and depravity - perfected forever to live with God in the new heaven.

I Thess. 4:17b “…and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The experience of living face to face with the Lord begins. The most wonderful event will be seeing our Lord face-to-face for the very first time! Is there any question what our first thoughts will be?!

I Thess. 4:18 “Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

God does not reveal the events of the end time to satisfy our curiosity

 but so that we can prepare and comfort one another with this

Most Glorious Hope!

Are you ready for that day?

Have you made your preparations?

Are you living in light of the Lord's return?