Focus on Today and Live Faithfully

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

-Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

-Matthew 6:34 (The Message)

“So do not worry about tomorrow. Let tomorrow worry about itself. Living faithfully is a large enough task for today.”

-Matthew 6:34 (The Voice)

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:34, “Do not worry about tomorrow,” but how many of you will agree with me that it is easier said than done? It is easy to say we aren’t going to worry, but somehow our minds can drift back there if we don’t have them focused on something else.  I love the paraphrases of this verse from The Message and The Voice.  These paraphrases give us practical steps to take to train our minds not to worry.  Instead of worrying about tomorrow, we have to give all of our attention to what God is doing right now and live faithfully today. 

So what is God doing right now? And what steps has God given you to take to live faithfully today? Don’t miss it by focusing on tomorrow.  Perhaps today He is giving you rest and preparation so you will be ready to conquer tomorrow.  Or maybe today you fight the battle, and your victory is coming tomorrow.  He could even be using today to heal you from yesterday, so that tomorrow you can walk forward into your promised land.  Don’t forget that God is working on your behalf today, no matter what your day holds. Focus all of your attention on that truth and live faithfully, taking just the steps God has given you for the present moment.  God wants us to live in the present because he knows the steps we need to take each day.  We have to take steps in the right order so we don’t stumble tomorrow.  Remember, He has gone before us and knows the path better than we do.

So lift your heads, sisters.  Give all your attention to what God is doing on your behalf right here, right now. Live faithfully and walk victoriously today!  

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for going before me and paving the way for me into my promised land.  Lord, I do not want to worry, but sometimes my mind accidentally goes there.  Please, through the power of your Holy Spirit, help me not to worry, but to give all of my attention to what you are doing today.  Thank you for working on my behalf.  I want to live faithfully for you today, enjoying the present moment and obediently taking the steps you have given me to take.  I love you, and I am so glad that we are on this path together.  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Once and For All

“Do not misunderstand why I have come.  I did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the writings of the prophets.  No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”

-          Matthew 5:17

In reading through Leviticus over the past few weeks I was reminded of all the things that could deem a person unclean.  One morning I sat and pondered the fact that we no longer have to offer a sacrifice for all the things that could make us unclean, yet sometimes we feel as if we have to do something to earn our righteousness, right?  Looking at the Old Testament and the New Testament side by side, it almost seems as if they don’t match up, but the truth is, they do! Look at the words of Jesus above.  He did not come to change the Old Testament law, but to fulfill it.  He came to be our once and for all sacrifice.  Let those words soak in for a minute it…ONCE…and FOR ALL.

He was our sacrifice for all the things we have ever done or experienced to make us unclean, and He died for all of us.  There is a story in Acts about a time that God called Peter to visit a Roman soldier named Cornelius to share the Good News with him and his family.  As Peter visited with them he said, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean.”  (Acts 10:28)  I love how God showed Peter in Acts 10 that the Law was fulfilled through Jesus.  Jesus made clean all that was once considered unclean by the Law of Moses.  That goes for you too.  

Jesus paid in full on the cross for you to be clean.  He has washed you white as snow and wrapped you in His robe of righteousness.  All you have to do is accept the gift Jesus gave you with His arms stretched wide on the cross.  Once you have accepted that gift of salvation, you are clean.  If you are still dragging around your baggage from the past and wearing a sign that says unclean, now is the time to ditch it.  Stop right there: drop that baggage right where you are, lose the label you have been carrying with you, lift your chin and walk victoriously.  For the voice has spoken again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” (Acts 10:15)

Lord Jesus, thank you for being the sacrifice for me, once and for all.  My human mind does not have the capacity to fully comprehend what you have done for me, but my need for you is magnified as I read the Law.  Without you I am unclean and unworthy, but you considered me worthy enough that you gave your life for me.  Thank you! I pray that I never lose awe in what you have done for me.  I will never be able to pay you back or say thank you enough, but I will live my life as a sacrifice to you.  I am determined to stop carrying around my baggage from the past and to stop calling unclean what you have made clean.  Right here, right now I am choosing to look at myself in the mirror and see myself as spotless and robed in your righteousness, for you did not die in vain, Lord Jesus.  Thank you.  I love you! Amen.

The Thought Bank

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

-2 Corinthians 10:5

This is a holy call to control our minds, and our minds are a powerful thing.  Our thoughts can be set up against the knowledge of God and go against everything God says about us and to us.  Our uncontrolled minds can bring us down roads that God never wanted us to travel.  You know what I am talking about, right? Our minds can lead us down the road of worry where we see our unresolved issues and fear what might happen next.  Our minds can lead us down paths of self doubt where with each step we take we hear a whisper in our ear telling us we are unworthy and unfit.  Perhaps as a woman your mind has led you down Hormone Street where every insecure thought that could ever enter your mind has set up camp and you just can’t seem to get a grip on it.  The mind is not an easy thing to control, so where do we begin?

This verse tells us to take every thought captive.  That means as soon as you start to think one of the thoughts that goes against God’s voice, you have to recognize it and grab a hold of it.  Sarah Young says in her devotional that we need to let the Holy Spirit act as a bouncer and boot those thoughts out of our minds.  But then you have to take it a step further.  You have to find something to replace those thoughts with.  You have to go into your thought bank and replace it with truth.  Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  Your thought bank needs to be full of truths and promises from the Bible that you have stored up in your mind so that you can take those unconstructive thoughts captive and replace them with God’s Word.  I know this is not an easy task, but in spending time in the word daily and trying to memorize scripture, I have been amazed at the collection God has given me in my thought bank.  If you need a little help in building your own collection, here is a start.  I suggest printing these verses out or writing them down and carrying them with you.  You can even put them in a note on your smart phone so any time you find yourself needing to take a thought captive, you have the replacements on hand.  You are not in this alone, sister.  Let’s “demolish these arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God” together. 

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

-Romans 12:2

The Thought Bank 

• "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” –Matthew 6:25-27
• “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”  --Philippians 4:19
• "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." –Matthew 11:28-30
• “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  --John 14:27
• “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”  --Psalm 55:22
• “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” –Proverbs 3:5-6
• “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  --Romans 8:38-39
• "Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”  --Psalm 103:2-3
•  “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”  --Zephaniah 3:17
• “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  --Ephesians 2:10
• “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  --Psalm 107:1

Father God,

We thank you today for the truth of your word.  Thank you, Lord, that you have us in the palm of your hand and can meet every one of our needs.  Thank you for making us spotless with the blood of your Son, so we no longer have to carry thoughts of shame or self doubt.  Thank you for giving us your truth to fill our minds with.  You are amazing, Lord.  We praise you in your majesty today.  I love you, Amen.