God's Daily Provision and Guidance

 

When we fail to live “in the moment”, our soul becomes so burdened with anxiety that we can become physically and emotionally ill.

When we do succeed in living in the present moment, and become fully attentive to everyday life as we live it, we find joy in the gifts, which God provides. We begin erupting into spontaneous praise to God throughout the day.

Living in the present moment also keeps us from taking life for granted. We find joy in the blessings God sends our way. We start to notice the feelings within our soul - our mind, will and emotions - and learn how to respond to and influence them.

Praying without ceasing for God’s direction each moment of the day allows the Holy Spirit to guide and direct our steps. We can follow His advice to accomplish God's will in each moment (Proverbs 3:5-6).

If God is interested in what we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10: 31), He is certainly also interested in what we do and when we do it, even if it’s what to fix for dinner.

Prayer:

Father God, the Serenity Prayer teaches us that we can hear Your desire for every situation in our life. Then we can deal with the circumstance or put it in Your hands before we go on to the next moment. This way we experience each moment fully and deliberately with thought, prayer and purpose.

Help us to discern when we can do something about our circumstances, and how to do it. Of if we cannot influence our circumstances, then to place the outcome in Your capable hands. Help us to really give them to You, Father, and not to take back the worry and responsibility of them; and then to go about our day with Your direction and peace that exceeds all human reasoning and understanding.    

Thought for the Day:

When we finish one task, we pray about what to do next, and follow the advice of the Serenity Prayer:

“Father, grant me the patience to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”  

Hidden with Christ in God - Part 2 - Help in Time of Need

God has our best interest at heart; although according to human reasoning, it does not always appear so. We often unwittingly pray against the will of God in our life, and He will not answer those prayers (1 John 5:14).

We fight life’s negative circumstances and cry out for God to correct them; when all along, He is actually using them to correct our course in life (James 1:2).

God's desire is for us to fully surrender to Him in trials, so that He can use them to do His perfect work in and through us in the exact timing and location in which He chooses to put us (James 1:2-12).

The comfort we seek often first depends upon our repentance of our current sins (2 Corinthians 7:10). The lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life often fuel our prayers and our activities in life (1 John 2:16).

We even want the bragging rights for our hard earned achievements, rather than realizing they are the result of God’s Spirit working in and through our life.

We want worldly gain, when God’s will is for us to walk in holiness (Isaiah 35:8). We find both serenity and maturity in the words and example of Jesus Christ (John 6:63).

When we suffer from stress, abandonment, grief, anxiety, failure or illness and we feel overwhelmed and defeated by life, God hides us in the cleft of the Rock of Christ and reveals Himself to us by His Spirit and His Word (Exodus 33:22).

We can dwell with the most disappointing mate, rebellious children, horrible work experience, devastating illness or the driest church life and still live in the fullness of God through Christ in us (Galatians 2:20).

As we seek first His Kingdom, He provides us with everything we need to flourish in this life (Matthew 6:33). The flesh is worthless, but God’s Spirit gives us what we need to succeed (Romans 7:18).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, overflowing with Your divine fullness, we find that nothing is impossible for us to achieve according to Your will (Philippians 2:12-13). You brought us up out of the miry pit of self-centeredness and set our feet upon the Rock of Christ (Psalm 27:5, 40:2; 1 Corinthians 10:4). In troubling times, You hide us in Your Tabernacle.

There is nothing to fear, because nothing can separate us from your love: not the trials of life, spiritual powers, the past or the future, no mountain top or deep valley of circumstances, no created thing and not even death (Jeremiah 42:11; Romans 8:38-39). Thank You for continually hiding us in the depth of Your love (Acts 17:11).

Thought for the Day:

When the comforts of this life fail us, yet Jesus Christ actually dwells within us, we find our refuge in the love of Christ in us (Psalm 46:1); He reassures us as no one else can, because He lives inside of us and knows our every conscious and unconscious thought. - Colossians 1:27; 2 Corinthians 13:5

The Devil in the Details

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It is the details of life, which often bog us down. Our priorities are sidetracked by the little demonic foxes that spoil the vineyard (Song of Solomon 2:15). They sway our thoughts and emotions until we lose our peace, fall out of God’s rest and end up drowning in stress.

The good things in life become the enemy of the best things. They demand our attention away from what is important. We fail to walk in God’s Spirit or perform His will for our day, because the details scream for our attention.

It is difficult to ignore those little nagging issues, which arise during the day and night. They are like a flashing neon sign that continually pull our focus back to them and away from God’s best for us.

We end up reaping physical illnesses, negative emotions in our soul and our spirit is undernourished from neglect. We feel like a failure and often start believing that we are hopeless. Yet, there is always hope in God.

Many details can be eliminated; for instance, immediately throw away that advertisement or catalog, which came in the mail; dust and vacuum once a week, and do not allow the gathering particles to bother you that collect in every corner and flat surface of the room until that day.

Separate the laundry in bins and only wash when the bin is full; wash dishes as you cook, so there is not a pile at the end of the meal; and, if necessary, allow yourself to leave the sink full of dishes and go to bed to get your needed rest for the next day.

Do not answer the telephone every time it rings – caller ID helps us to distinguish if our child needs our attention and everyone else can leave a message for us to hear at a more opportune time.

Make a grocery list and shop once a week or month or quarter, rather than running to the store every other day for some forgotten or needed item.

Making more little changes in the details of our home life, vocational activities and church ministries - as God gives us wisdom, changes our mindset and schedule.

We put our priorities in the proper order and we have more time for spiritual pursuits. Our life is more fulfilled and our spirit is nourished by our close intimacy with our Heavenly Daddy.

Prayer:

Father God, thank You for pointing out to us the areas where Satan uses the zillion details of the day to distract and discourage us. Give us Your wisdom to know how to organize and to make Your plans our priority. Help us to stay focused on the spiritual rather than on this earthly realm.

We want our day to start and finish in Your perfect will for us, accomplishing all that You called us to do at work, home and play. Draw our hearts to You and never let us go, as our intimacy with You deepens and our spiritual focus increases.

Thought for the Day:

Be aware of the minute details that tend to destroy us from the inside out, to interrupt our home life and relationships, and to spread the roots of apathy in our churches.