Showing posts with label today. Show all posts
Showing posts with label today. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Trusting God - Trouble (b)

Matthew 6:34 ESV
"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

In the second part of this versewe're told that each day has its own troouble and that that troublee is sufficient.

Car breakdowns, illness, traffic, bad news, sudden expenses even missed oppotunities are all the types of trouble we experience and we tend to just take them in stride.  But should we?

Is there anything in our lives that is too trivial for God?  Is there anything about our lives that the God who numbers my hairs and my days can be disconnected from?  No, I have to believe that nothing - NO thing - in and about my life is too trivial for God to be concerned with.

Traffic is bad, other drivers are rude and I am running late for an important meeting.  That has a great effect on my attitiude and temper.  Is God not interested in that as much as anything else?  Is He not concerned that I arrive at the meeting calm and composed so I may do my best and honor Him?  Does He not care about my heart and needs?  To assume - even by lack of attention- that God is not interested in the smallest thing in my life makes a mockery of Jesus' claim that He is interested.

How much attention though do we pay to the trivial?  Do we pray about these things?  A timely arrival at a meeting, a good parking place, no car breakdown,   Or deo we just figure their random things that we just have to suffer and deal with?

Brothers and sisters, our very lives are composed of a multitude of the trivial that all fit together to build our lives.  One thing goes wrong and we feel our dau is spoiled.  A bad hair day and we're cast down all day.  One "little" thing does not go according to our plans and we're mortified and depressed.  It should not be this way.

The only things I know that will assist us in livng in the "trouble" we encounter each day is attention to detail in prayer.  We do not waaste God's time or providence by praying for what we consider trivial or silly.  Indeed when we do pray for these things we are confirming in our hearts and minds that our God is the God of the details no matter how trivial they seem to us.  We do not "bother" god when we go to Him with anything.  Indeed we are dmonished to do exactly that.

Need to meed a quota?  Need Power Point to work right?  Need for traffic to no be a problem?  Why not pray about that?  What excuse could we possibly have for not praying about things of this nature.

Each day has trouble.  /each day needs to begin with pray and especially prayer about facing the trouble the day will bring.  And as we encounter these troubles we need to be praying about them asking God to help us see His use for them, His purpose in allowing them into our lives - when they happen!

Paul tells us to "pray always," and this admonition in Matthew is one very important reason why.  We can never pray too much and we can never thing anything in our lives is too trivial to pray about.

Trusting God?  Trusting God for the trivial?  Who else are you going to trust?  

Trusting God is not about trusting Him for BIG things it is trusting Him for EVERYTHING.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Trusting God Today 021314

Trusting God  Today

We all know Jesus' teaching about God's provision for each day.  But do we ever just sit and think that through?  I don't think many of us do.  We're so caught up in the hustle of the everyday that we just let the day go by without reflecting on how He did provide for us.

It's good to take time at the end of the day to reflect back on how the God who in in charge of everything provided for you during the day.  And don't just think about all He gave you - think as well of what you avoided - what might have happened that didn't.

I know we shouldn't engage in "vain repetitions" in prayer and I emphasize the word "vain."  But I often pray, "Just today Lord, help me focus on just today," over and over as I start my day.  So many thing press in upon my heart and mind that if I don't don't do that then I am distracted in the rest of my prayer by things in the future (both real and imagined).

God is the God of eternity - and He is the God of right now as well.  I live in the right now - I hope in eternity.  I fight to keep my focus on my "right now" needs as I go through the day - looking for His hand in events and circumstances.  I want Him to be my God "today," in each moment.

Yes, I  pray over future events and worries but I only know I have this moment and in this moment I want to be trusting Him.  It's surprising how difficult it is to do - or rather how easy it is to not do.

Perhaps that is why we are encouraged to "pray always."  Perhaps it is in keeping this attitude of prayer that we are able to live in each moment of each day more aware of His providence and care.

I hope I'm making some kind of sense.  Brothers and sisters we only have right now and we only have right now to serve Him in and be thankful in.  Should we not take advantage of it?  Should we not seek His help in focusing on today as today unfolds?  How much do we miss when we are so distracted from God in our lives right now?

Today I will trust God for today.  He has promised me eternity and not tomorrow.  So all I have is today in which to serve and honor Him.  Today certainly has enough trouble but it has blessings as well.  I know I won't miss the first and I know I do not want to miss the second.  I pray I may live today - today - and know His work in my life more intimately and consistently.