Living Today, Today???   A Word from THE WORD!!! #269

“This is the day

which the LORD hath made;

we will rejoice

and be glad in it.”  Psalm 118:24

“Boast not thyself

of to morrow;

for thou knowest not

what a day may bring forth.”  Proverbs 27:1

Jesus has much to say about our living by faith and that means living this day—today!  It is totally evident as He taught His disciples to pray.

“After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done in earth,

as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day

our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts,

as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power,

and the glory,

for ever. Amen.”  Matthew 6:9-13

As we learn to pray, we see that Jesus sets our eyes and our hearts on God, His Kingdom, and His will—today, and Matthew records even more that makes it clear.

“Therefore take no thought, saying,

What shall we eat?

or, What shall we drink?

or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things

do the Gentiles seek:)

for your heavenly Father knoweth

that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought

for the morrow:

for the morrow

shall take thought for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

is the evil thereof.”  Matthew 6:31-34

Oh, that we (me as much as anyone) can learn to live in the today—not always looking for what’s coming tomorrow.  James talks about this principle, and we need to heed it in our day as much as any time in history; yet it is not anything new, as James addresses the same issue to the believers of his day.

“Go to now, ye that say,

To day

or to morrow

we will go into such a city,

and continue there a year,

and buy and sell,

and get gain:

14 Whereas ye know not

what shall be on the morrow.

For what is your life?

It is even a vapour,

that appeareth for a little time,

and then vanisheth away.

15 For that ye ought to say,

If the Lord will,

we shall live,

and do this,

or that.

16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings:

all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good,

and doeth it not,

to him it is sin.”  James 4:13-17

This leaves the question, are we going God’s way, in God’s time and for God’s glory are we going our own way, in our own time and usually for our own glory?  Ouch!  And as we think about living in the day, living in submission to God, and pursuing the things of the Spirit, trusting in our God and not our undisciplined flesh, what are we choosing to do and be?  Jesus gives us great insight as we go back to Matthew.

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures

upon earth,

 where moth and rust doth corrupt,

and where thieves break through and steal:

20 But lay up for yourselves treasures

in heaven,

where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,

and where thieves do not break through

nor steal:

21 For where your treasure is,

there will your heart be also.

22 The light of the body is the eye:

if therefore thine eye be single,

thy whole body shall be full of light.

23 But if thine eye be evil,

thy whole body shall be full of darkness.

If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness,

how great is that darkness!

24 No man can serve two masters:

for either he will hate the one,

and love the other;

or else he will hold to the one,

and despise the other.

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

25 Therefore I say unto you,

Take no thought for your life,

what ye shall eat,

or what ye shall drink;

nor yet for your body,

what ye shall put on.

Is not the life more than meat,

and the body than raiment?”  Matthew 6:19-25

As we think about these things, Jesus isn’t saying don’t work and provide for your own needs, but He is saying that we are to seek Him and His ways first, even as we mentioned above.

“33 But seek ye first

the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought

for the morrow:

for the morrow

shall take thought

for the things of itself.

Sufficient unto the day

is the evil thereof…”

Jesus teaches us about one who focused on self and tomorrow, rather than seeking God to direct his steps today.  May we take heed to His warning.

“And he said unto them,

Take heed, and beware of covetousness:

 for a man’s life consisteth not

in the abundance of the things

which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying,

The ground of a certain rich man

brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying,

What shall I do,

because I have no room

where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said,

This will I do:

I will pull down my barns,

and build greater;

and there will I

bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul,

Soul, thou hast much goods laid up

for many years;

take thine ease,

eat,

drink,

and be merry.

20 But God said unto him,

Thou fool,

this night thy soul shall be required of thee:

then whose shall those things be,

which thou hast provided?

21 So is he

that layeth up treasure for himself,

       and is not rich

toward God.”  Luke 12:15-21

May you hear the voice of The Lord?

Amen and Amen!!!