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How did today come about?  You woke up, got ready to do something even if it was to take a day off and relax or work on something at home. You probably assumed when you went to bed last night that you would wake up today and had some sort of plan without regard to “this is a day that the Lord has made (and, by the way, “be glad and rejoice in it.”). Now, that is going to be hard to swallow because…….

Psalm 118:20-24: This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad.

Think about the hymn about this particular scripture–“This is the day, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Don’t take for granted “today” as there just might not be a “tomorrow.”  

Matthew 6:34–“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

A wonderful way to put life in perspective—I care not today what the morrow may bring, If shadow or sunshine or rain, The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything, And all of my worries are vain.

Living by faith in Jesus above, Trusting, confiding in His great love.  From all harm safe in His sheltering arm, I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.

Though tempests may blow and the storm clouds arise, Obscuring the brightness of life, I’m never alarmed at the overcast skies—The Master looks on at the strife. 

I know that He safely will carry me through, No matter what evils betide; Why should I then care though the tempest may blow, If Jesus walks close to my side. 

Our Lord will return for His loved ones some day, Our troubles will then all be o’er; The Master so gently will lead us away, Beyond that blest heavenly shore–by Robert Emmett Winsett. 

Do we know what is about to happen today, tomorrow, etc.?  Even today, tomorrow, or frankly at anytime?  But, we seem to meander through our daily activities as though we do, right?  We really don’t have control of our lives at all!  We go about our daily routine usually not giving a second thought on what is just right in front of us and what might happen to us. 

In Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

We must plan our lives according as we go about our lives remembering that there is a greater plan for us in the life after we pass from this life into eternity. But, really!  How can I do that when I must catch up on work, pay the bills, get all my other responsibilities done TODAY?  I am in control of all of this stuff!!!

Remember what Jesus said:

Luke 9:23-24–Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Luke 9:59–He said to another man, “Follow me.” But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”

Luke 14:27–And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.

John 12:26–Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.

I want you to think about faith as someone that trusts in and demonstrates that trust in God. Faith is walking through one’s fears and worries. It’s having that peace inside your soul knowing that God is on your side when you wrestle and fight against the many distractions that satan throws your way?

However, when it comes down to it, as we try to make it through the day, the arrows that get shot our way, how can we completely be at peace, knowing that God is there loving me  and caring for me, providing for me, and that I have nothing to fear?

Please read the mighty chapter of faith:

Hebrews 11:1-4o: [1] Faith in Action 11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. [2] This is what the ancients were commended for. [3] By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. [4] By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. [5] By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. [6] And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. [7] By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. [8] By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. [9] By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. [10] For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. [11] And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. [12] And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. [13] All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. [14] People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. [15] If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. [16] Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. [17] By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, [18] even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” [19] Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. [20] By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. [21] By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. [22] By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. [23] By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. [24] By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. [25] He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. [26] He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. [27] By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. [28] By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. [29] By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. [30] By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. [31] By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. [32] And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, [33] who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, [34] quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. [35] Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. [36] Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. [37] They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— [38] the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. [39] These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, [40] 40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. 

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things (Philippians 4:8)

We live adventurous lives. We have our bucket list. We want to go to the limits of trying the various pursuits that come out way. In doing so, we sometimes get to the very edges of the frayed fabrics of our faith and the temptations of satan.  Think about the lyrics of this old spiritual hymn. 

Drifting Too Far From the ShoreBy Charles W. Moody. 

Out on the perilous deep, Where dangers silently creep, And storms so violently sweep, You are drifting too far from the shore. 

Drifting too far from the shore, You are drifting too far from the shore (peaceful shore), Come to Jesus today, let him show you the way, You are drifting too far from the shore.

Today the tempest rolls high, And the clouds overshadow the sky, Sure death is hovering nigh, You are drifting too far from the shore.

Why meet a terrible fate, Mercies abundantly wait, Turn back before it’s too late, You are drifting too far from the shore.

Drifting too far from the shore, You are drifting too far from the shore (peaceful shore), Come to Jesus today, let him show you the way, You are drifting too far from the shore.

The Word teaches us that we need Jesus. We need fellowship with others of faith. 

In 1 John 1:5-7: This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

Stay close to the Savior!

How is your schedule today?  Are you off to a meeting or rushing to the grocery store while speed reading your emails and listening to voice mails?

We live in a world that is “speed up to slow down and hurry up and wait.” I just rushed to the airport to then wait for my flight that boarded on time (I did have plenty time to spare given that I rushed to the airport, and then we “waited for 2 hours on the tarmac.  Ever thing about what you are preparing for?  In this hurry up to slow down world with the technology to never be away from anything, what is our real purpose?  Are we that busy that we can’t really slow down to ponder what we are really put on this earth for?

I recently vacationed on an island in the carribeean with my wife and some family members where you kind of had to slow down.  At first, this was hard.  Having to go with the flow and the time scheduled of the locals, etc.  Why are we moving so slow?  Why does it take so long for dinner to be served at the local restaurant?  Well, we are on Island Time.  

Have you encountered this phenomenon of rush, rush, rush to then feel like “what did I do that for?”  We live in a society where we are in a frantic mode much of our waking hours. We have places to go, people to see, things to do–ALL THE TIME!  From a biblical perspective, Jesus was “about his Father’s Buisiness all the time.  However, he found time to get away from the hustle and bustle of His Plan and to go by the sea or up into the mountains to pray and be with his Father.  We need this special quite time away from everything to listen to the quiet and to ponder what we are all about and what our real purpose is.  Pray for your family.  Pray for God to work in your life.  Pray for God to put His plan at your footsteps and lead you in the direction that He wants you to go.

The creator of the heavens and this earth. From the mountains to the oceans, our God has created the beauty we see daily.