by Gail Rodgers
** Check out our selection of fall Bible studies that include online teaching sessions by streaming video plus a chance to join other women around the world in a weekly chat discussion of the study. The online video format means that you can take part in the study any time you like, day or night. Finally, a Bible study that can fit any schedule, even yours!
http://christianwomentoday.com/training/cpandvienroll.html
Julie’s stomach churned with anxiety. She was worrying about tomorrow. It’s something we all do. It is important to plan for tomorrow. It’s important to plan how to nourish relationships, how to spend our time and our money wisely and to set goals. Yet we often simply let worry about tomorrow overtake our minds. Soon we feel it in our bodies too. Worrying about tomorrow will rob you of today!
God understands that. He also understands each one of us. That’s why in His Word, the Bible, He gave many examples and encouragement to take one day at a time.
Stop for a moment right now and identify the thief of worry in your life. Take what you are worrying about and put it into a prayer to God. Hand that worry about tomorrow into His hands. He already sees tomorrow and will give you the strength to handle tomorrow when it comes.
Walk in today. God’s help and strength is a daily supply. He gives it until tomorrow, not for tomorrow.
Listen to all the encouragement from God to live in today….
* “Give us this day our daily bread…” (Matthew 6:11)
* “I cry to you daily…” (Psalm 86:3)
* “…they searched the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11).
* “Encourage one another daily…” (Hebrews 3:13)
* “… daily follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Live in today…draw strength for today…and know that because Jesus lives… you can face tomorrow when it arrives.
~ Father God,
Thank You that You provide all I need to walk in this day. I put my hand in Yours and ask for Your strength and guidance for each step today. Thank You that You already see tomorrow and You will be there to help me face whatever it brings when it comes. Help my anxious heart to release tomorrow to Your loving care. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Questions:
1. Why does God encourage us to live in today?
2. Why do our minds gravitate towards tomorrow?
3. Let’s spend some time praying together, submitting our worries to God and asking Him to open our eyes to see how He is helping and strengthening us today.
About the Author: http://www.talk.thelife.com/gail-rodgers/
Connecting Through Technology
Do you use technology to stay in touch with family and friends?
>Watch
What a wonderful devotion today. I’m thankful for this time that I spend thinking on God’s word. This daily morning time is so important. He is ever faithful to supply and be there for us. My Sunday School teacher made an excellent point, If you and God are not as close as you used to be, who’s moved? Thank you for your words today.
thank you for today’s reminder, that we are not promised tommorow,to enjoy God’s blessings and features of today.this weekend was very hard for me,my family and I went to cookout at a friends new home.it was absolutely gorgeous. all modern and landscaped.after returning home every flaw in my 100+ year old home seemed to stand out to me.I began to get unsatisfied with what we had,and it bothered me all evening, but this morning after spending time with God ,he has pointed out every memory in our home from over the years.how me and my husband remodeled it ourselves, just the way I wanted it.how much fun we had knocking out walls writting messages on the frame work in case someone else ever lived here.the gouge in the ceiling tile from our 1st christmas tree.the one squeeky board in the floor that alerts me a child is sneaking to the kitchen in the middle of the night for cookies.the part of the wall that someone wrote ‘I love you momma and peanut butter’ in marker that always comes through the paint.the things that annoyed me so badly last night about the place we’ve made a home for years, is the things that make me love my home and make it specail to all of us.thank you God for giving me such subtle reminders of beautiful memories,so I can remember to be thankful for your blessings on this family not just the ones of today but blessings of days gone by as well and enjoy my day with you in this old house .
This is exactly what I needed to read today. I was questioning whether I had time, believe it or not, to read this devotional because of all the tasks that lie ahead.
I could even see myself in my son’s face as I dropped him off for the first day of kindergarten. Worry in his eyes that things might not go okay. How I would like to teach him to trust God. That He will provide. That we should not lean on our OWN understanding but that we should acknowledge HIM and He will direct our paths. I am newly reminded that God will lead us and give us grace for today.
This devotional reminds me that yesterday is gone, today is here and I must live in today, and not worry about tomorrow.
As I encourage my seventeen year old not to worry about tomorrow, but to just be thankful for today, I pray he will let Gods word saturate his heart, so as he step out into this world, that God is all he needs.
I pray that I will continue to set that example for him by living for today.
Thanks for reminding me to focus on the present, not the past and to not worry about the future.
In our ‘good’ years, my husband was lead tenor and soloist in our choir, led a 6:30 a.m. men’s weekly Bible study in our dining room, assisted coworkers, seved on various church boards, etc. He has a long history of kidney stones and efforts to crush them. Along the way there was injury. For ten years, he has been an invalid because of chronic pain. He takes morphine, etc. He is also treated for clinical depression. I DO ‘trust in the Lord with all my heart..’. I admit that I look for something more. I know we have good doctors. I can’t fix this. It’s hard not to ‘rely on my own understanding’. So now I take blood pressure amd anxiety meds! I pray blessings for all of you.
Today is all we have…Thank you for the reminder..Today when I pick up my kids at school I will make sure to look at them in their eyes and tell them “How much I love them”
When tempted to spend time on tomorrow’s needs it can be helpful to reread the instructions given to the Israelites regarding the manna in Exodus 16. I truly believe that we are to gather our blessings in a similar manner, enough for today, trusting that there will be a new supply for tomorrow.
just finished reading live in today. what a wonderful devotional. i wish i could stop worring about tomorrow. istoped while reading and said a prayer fo God to help me stop worring. bless all
sharon
I’m a newbie to this site, been really enjoying people’s responses to the devotions! For me this devotion not only talks about not living in the thoughts of tomorrow, but also its a reminder that we should live in the moment. So often i can find myself thinking about something i am busy doing (that seems very important to me) and miss other things around me, like people. Someone could come up to me and say hi (wanting to talk) but i brush them off because i am off in my own thoughts. When sometimes those interruptions where just what God was actually wanting us to focus on (not what we had in our head as important). This is a very relevant thought for me today!!!
Am posting a day late and with a “red face”! Gail you wrote this for us all, but the Lord used it yesterday mightily to make me look at my waivering faith the last few days! Am usually a “today girl” and understand the great power of living THIS day..Psalm 118:24…Have been in His Presence since reading your devotional, seeking for things only HE can do..moving out of HIS way..once again..and finally found the courage to share this as we ALL have days like it, of course! We must avoid playing the “what if” game in our lives and focus on the day at hand! That is WHY His GREAT Word points the way! HE is so faithful, though, even when we humans get off track, HE loves us and pats us on the back as we get back “In HIS Presence”..never reminding us of our failures..Only saying “Welcome back, my child..glad you are here today”..Amen and Amen
For Jackie…
Your home sounds absolutely charming and “God Made”! Want you to know how much that sharing blessed! You are in an “earthen mansion” even on this earth..and you are an “artist with pen (in this case, computer keyboard!)”, too!