By Chris WittsMonday 21 Nov 2022Morning Devotions with Chris WittsFaithReading Time: 1 minute
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Transcript:
Endeavoring to live one day at a time. That’s what a lot of people are trying to do, only to find it very difficult. And why is that?
Possibly because so many of us are trying to do too much. We get bogged down with anxious thoughts. And who wants to live like that? The author, Ida Scott Taylor, has a good thought. She wrote this one day at a time. “This is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past for its gone. And do not be troubled about the future. For it hasn’t come yet. Live in the present and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.”
What about planning your day? Of course, the day’s events don’t always work out as you wish, but at the very least, you know what you’ve got planned. If you make a plan, we’ve each got 1440 minutes in the day. Do you make the plan for that day? Why not? Every success or failure never comes at once. Everything comes day by day and to reach somewhere in life’s journey. We need to make each day count, and this starts with taking one day at a time.
It means that you’re focusing on the reality of life instead of living with guilt or worry. Taking one day at a time helps you deliver balanced and happy life, and it means recognising the difference between what ifs and what is it means choosing to focus more on the happy moments than on the painful or stressful ones. One day at a time means not asking too much of yourself or neglecting your own needs just to live a life in the present moment. And that is that God has promised guidance and direction for just today.
Time and time again, the Bible emphasises the importance of today. God promised as your days. So shall your strength be. That’s from Deuteronomy 33:25. For God is far wiser than you are. The truth is that our wisdom is limited to the past, no matter how wise we think we are. We’ve got no way of knowing the future, but God does. He knows all the past, the present and the future, and he can see your circumstances from angles that you haven’t even thought about yet. While God
is in charge of the big picture, he only expects us to make it through a day at a time. God wants us to truly experience his presence daily. If we do what God intends for us today, the rest will take care of itself. You might feel frustrated because your schedule and your goals haven’t worked out the way you planned. But there is good news in this. God promises help for just today, he said. The Lord is good a stronghold in the day of trouble. He knows them that trust in him. Living in the present
doesn’t mean a disregard of the past nor a nonchalant attitude towards the future. It means that you find God’s grace to cope with the flight that’s cancelled or the stock that collapses. The loan that doesn’t get paid, plus the hopes for tomorrow that don’t materialise. Yes, God can help us to find his strength for today. Living one day at a time is actually a biblical principle. Most of us are familiar with the line. Give us today our daily bread from the Lord’s Prayer.
But have we ever stopped to really think about what it means. It’s about asking God at the beginning of every day to provide us with exactly what we need for that 24 hours the next day, we’ll need to ask again in the Old Testament Book of Lamentations. The Bible says his mercies are new every morning and in Ephesians were advised not to let the sun go down on our anger. Why? Because none of us really know what the next day will bring. God is love, and he loves every one of us unconditionally.
He has our best interest in mind in all things. And no human being could love you the way God loves you. Jesus said, “don’t worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 God is always moving and working in our lives, and your circumstances may be telling you that your marriage, for example, is failing or your finances are in trouble or your health is deteriorating.
But the truth is that Jesus is still the king of kings. He is our healer, our provider, and he meets all our needs. living for today. It doesn’t mean that we don’t learn from yesterday. It was Albert Einstein who said learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.
Let’s Pray
Heavenly Father, thank you for the statement in the Bible that says “My grace is sufficient for you. And my power is made perfect in weakness.” And sometimes, Lord, I feel that today is wasted or I don’t have any power or strength. But you know that you have the resources each day for me, and I’m grateful, amen.