Living for Today
“So don't be anxious about tomorrow. God will take care of your tomorrow too. Live one day at a time." Matthew 6:34 The Living Bible
I have been watching the World Series cheering for my favorite team - the Atlanta Braves. Up until now, it has been one more series! There were games that were neck and neck, keeping us on pins and needles, wondering who would pull it out. In a few of the games, the score was not so close with the winning team soaring through with ease and the losing team, well, let's just say they lost. The series has been exciting and by the time you read this, it will be history as to who won.
I was awakened the other night thinking about the above scripture, the baseball games, and how it applies to our lives. In Matthew 6, Jesus spoke about worry, the cares of life and He gives us the anecdote in verse 33. Jesus said, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” And, “... live one day at a time.”
“We will have days that we soar; and, we will have days that we fail. But whichever the case may be, we get up and place Jesus in His rightful place as Lord of our life. ”
The problem is we have a hard time living in the present. Most of us tend to think about tomorrow and next week and all that it entails, instead of focusing on the day that we are given.
The Houston Astros coach, Dusty Baker, interviewed by a reporter before one of the particular games, stated that he wasn't thinking about the next game, or the loss in the previous game. He was focusing on that game.
In life, we have days a lot like the games in the World Series. There are days we breeze right through, getting it all right and defeating any challenge with ease through the power of Jesus.
Then, there are days that feels like it is a fight start to finish. It’s an uphill battle trying to overcome all of the obstacles thrown our way just like the back and forth scoring in those games. We wonder how we made it through – only by the skin of our teeth.
And then, there are days when we fail miserably. We can't seem to get anything right, thinking why Jesus would ever love, forgive, or extend grace and mercy to us. Can I get a witness?
So, what do we do? In a sense, we do what the Braves and the Astros have done. We get up the next day and go at it again. You see, God doesn't write us off because of our failures or because of our victories. He loves us regardless!
We will have days that we soar; and, we will have days that we fail. But whichever the case may be, we get up and place Jesus in His rightful place as Lord of our life. And then we trust Him to keep us in the palm of His hand as we learn, grow, and mature in our walk with Jesus.
Jesus said in John 16:33 that we are going to have trouble in this world; but, take heart! Because He overcame the world, we can too! We can be victorious because of what Jesus did on the cross. Let's keep believing, keep trusting, and keep moving forward in the strength, grace, and power that only Jesus can give.
P.S. My Braves won!!!!!!!!!
Jesus taught the disciples that their worth to God was more than the sparrows – and Jesus said that God does not forget the sparrow. Jesus then went on to say that God knows the number of hairs on each head.