Today I wrote in my journal, “Lord, help me see things differently.” What do I mean by this? Every day and every situation is new. Just because something went one way in the past doesn’t mean the outcome will be the same today. Maybe you’ve said, “That’s just the way things go for me.” I do, and thinking that way can cause us to carry a lot of anxiety.
The people asked Jesus what they must do to do the works of God. The answer is beautiful and simple. He didn’t tell them to go and do a bunch of good works, nor self-denial, or even pray for weeks on end. It was simple and beautiful. Jesus said to believe in the one who God sent. Believe in Jesus.
The disciples asked Jesus how to pray. If we asked anyone else to teach us to pray, I would imagine it would be pretty long and flowery based on the prayers I’ve heard people pray. It was not that way with Jesus. The prayer he taught was simple and reasonably short. The prayer was not repetitive; Jesus wasn’t jumping up and down nor pacing back and forth, or shouting as though God was hard of hearing.
One line in the prayer was, “give us this day our daily bread.” Do I go into the day worn out just thinking about things or worried about something in the future? I need to see things differently. Jesus said He will provide my daily bread. And my daily bread He has always provided.
He’s been teaching me this. It is true; He does provide what I need each day. When I look at a task on a future day, sometimes I get worn out and stressed thinking about it. I’m using the energy God has provided today on something in the future. I’m learning that God will supply for that future task when it arrives. But for today, He gives me daily bread.
This morning I read Joshua chapter 1. God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. God assures Joshua that He is with him. God is with us. Jesus told us he would never leave or forsake us. In Psalm 139, the writer says that no matter where we go, God will lead.
Joshua was heading into new territory. Until then, they had been under Moses’ leadership. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years because of their unbelief, but things were about to change. Things don’t always stay the same.
Your outcomes and the things that keep you up at night can also change. Are you anxious about something you have to do today? Perhaps you are nervous because of a past failed experience, and you feel the same will happen today. Be strong and courageous. God is in the business of doing new things.
So as you start a new day and a new year, remember God is with us. He will supply what we need today. He brings down the mountains and stops the flow of the river if that’s what you need. Trust Him and see how He provides your daily bread.
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