This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. (Psalm 118:24 NLT)
Have you ever wondered why God designed our lives to be lived in 24-hour segments? When I was in college, I always needed money, so when a friend asked me to fill in for him at a soft drink plant as a night watchman, without thinking I said I would. It’s the only time in my life I fell asleep on my feet. In my mind (and body) night was to be used for sleep!
Our bodies are wired to function best when we give them proper nourishment, exercise, and rest. When we don’t, it generally leads to problems. It’s similar with our spirits. Ron Hutchcraft wrote: “The strength you need, the provision you need, the grace you need, the answers you need, the help you need, and the encouragement you need – He’s going to send you what you need on the day you need it and not a day earlier.”
Have you ever been in such physical, mental, emotional, even spiritual pain you’ve begged God to take it away, or give you an answer? What is worry? Isn’t worry essentially desiring to know or have today what we really don’t need until some point in the future?
After my divorce I worked a commission only job, so when I didn’t make sales, I had no income. Nearly, every month I would be begging God for money TODAY, for my rent that wasn’t due until the beginning of the next month. I rarely had the funds I needed early, but without exception, He always made a way for me to pay in time, so I never got evicted.
Listen to the voice of the Scriptures: “This is the day the Lord has made”(Psalm 118:24)…”His mercies are new every morning”(Lamentations 3:23)…“Daily He bears our burdens” (Psalm 68:19). “Take up your cross daily, and follow Me.” (Luke 9:23), and Moses said to the tribe of Asher in Deuteronomy 25b: “Your strength will equal your days.”
In Luke 11, as Jesus finished praying, the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray. Included in that very short, but important prayer Jesus said to ask the Father: “Give us each day the food we need.” While He used the example of food, I believe His desire is for us to ask the Lord, as I do every morning, to give us everything we need to be everything He desires us to be TODAY!
Ron Hutchcraft continued his thought: “So when you get all worried and fearful about what’s beyond today, you’re running ahead of your supply lines. Because you don’t have tomorrow’s ‘bread,’ tomorrow’s strength, or tomorrow’s grace until that day comes. So you’re trying to carry tomorrow’s burden with today’s grace, and you’re going to stumble.”
When I’m sick physically or struggling emotionally, it seems my all-encompassing passion is to be well RIGHT NOW! “Lord, please heal me now!” Often, however, He chooses to wait. Why would He do that? There is a scene in season 3 of The Chosen where little James is asking Jesus why He hasn’t healed him of a physical condition that causes him to move much more slowly than the other disciples.
Jesus is preparing the disciples to be sent out two-by-two to do mission’s work to prepare these places for His soon arrival. He’s giving them authority and power to heal and to cast out demons, and Jesus explains to James how powerful it will be for people to see him loving and serving Jesus even though he hasn’t been healed himself.
Thousands followed Jesus for what they could get from Him, as they still do today, but Jesus was emphasizing to James what a powerful witness to serve Jesus gladly, and powerfully healing others while he, himself, was still not healed. I no longer ask the Lord to heal me except it be in His way and in His time.
My spirit rejoices in Christ my Savior whether I’m healed in this life or not. Why? Because I know one day, sooner than I can imagine, I’ll be perfectly whole in every way. Wow! What a day that will be!
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 