More than a Declaration

Near the end of his life, Joshua gave a farewell address to the people of Israel. You can read it for yourself in Joshua chapters 23, 24. He reminded them that God had been fighting FOR them. He challenged them to:

Cling to the Lord.

Love the Lord.
Fear the Lord.
Serve the Lord.
Choose Him.
Obey Him.
Incline their hearts to Him.

Loving God is ACTIVE, not passive.

It involves choosing,
Following,
Serving,
Obeying,
Fearing,
Turning away from things of the world that distract us from Him,
Turning to Him in wholehearted adoration and worship.

To love God is more than just a decision or a declaration or a profession.

It is a putting OFF and a putting ON,
A turning FROM and a turning TO,
Running the race in pursuit of the goal,
Giving one’s life in the service of the Master,
Choosing His way over my way,
His thoughts over my thoughts,
His way over my will,
His Word over the world.
It is choosing THIS day and EVERY DAY to serve Him,
To choose life – HIS life,

Father God,

This day, today I again choose You!
Help me make choices that honor you.
Keep me from being distracted by anything that would draw me away from your will for me today.
Amen.

One Day at a Time

In a recent radio broadcast Dr. David Jeremiah was teaching about the prophet, Elijah. In the course of the message he said, “If God gave the widow a full barrel of flour (enough to last through the famine) she would learn to trust in the barrel instead of in God.” (You can find the details of the miracle in 1 Kings 17:8-16)

 

This brought to my mind these lyrics by Marijohn Wilkin, 1974 

“One Day at a time, Sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking of you.

Just give me the strength to do every day what I have to do.

Yesterday’s gone, Sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine,

Lord, help me today, show me the way, one day at a time.” 

Or how about this classic hymn, written by Swedish hymnist Lina Sandell Berg (1832-1903)

“Day by day and with each passing moment

Strength I find to meet my trials here.
Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment
I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure
Gives unto each day what He deems best,
Lovingly it’s part of pain and pleasure
Mingling toil with peace and rest.”

The widow in the Bible did not get a full barrel of flour. What she did get was strength for each day

– one day at a time! But she only received the strength and the nourishment when each day she went to the pantry and dipped into the barrel.

 So we are promised strength for each day. But we need to go to the source daily to receive from His abundance exactly what is needed. Grace, direction, inspiration, forgiveness, comfort, mercy – whatever the need He provides! When I try to manage on my own, to conjure up my own solution, I go away hungry, weak and unsatisfied.

Father,

Forgive me for those times I doubt your provision and think I can manage on my own.
Help me each day to drink from the water of your Word,
to feast on the meat of the Word
and to rely on Your provision and strength for each day –
one day at a time.
Amen