One Day at a Time

Have you ever felt like you don’t know how you are going to make it through an upcoming challenge? I’ve recently had a few conversations like this with friends. When my tongue is painful, I often reflect on the challenges I have beeen through and think, “I can’t go through that again.” And I begin to worry. It is so easy for fear to take over. 

But then I remember that I don’t need the strength for the entire upcoming challenge right now. I just need the strength for this moment. I don’t even need to have the strength for the whole day ahead of me. I just need God to strengthen me for the task at hand. I often borrow trouble and worry about how God is going to provide what we need weeks and months down the road, but Jesus teaches us to ask God for our “daily bread.” I would like to ask God to give me the month’s supply of bread up front so I can plan. But God wants me to depend on Him day by day, moment by moment. That is so contrary to my North American culture. We have been taught to plan, to save for the emergency situation, to have insurance for everything. And I’m not saying that planning is bad. But when my hope is in my plans instead of my Savior it is a problem. When things don’t go as I planned, or for some reason I’m not able to see the plan, that is when I realize where my trust is. It is gracious that God doesn’t always show me how He will provide for my needs. He knows that peace does not come from being prepared for every contingency, but in trusting in Him and His goodness in the midst of my struggles and fears. So today, I am asking God for the strength for today and I am choosing to trust Him with all my tomorrows.