Since our last article, a few noteworthy occurrences have taken place. Less than two weeks ago we celebrated the birth of Jesus that took place more than 2000 years ago, for me this one was a very special one, not only due to the fact that all over the world the birth of Christ was celebrated, but that I could have spent it with my family. All made possible due to His Grace.
Then it was the excitement of the New Year that is dawning, and everybody is looking forward to the firework shows that will fill the skies later the evening. All the previously mentioned festivities were accompanied by a lot of eating and those things that goes along with good food. I am now at the stage that when I walk into our bathroom, the bathroom scale goes into hiding!
Now here we are at the beginning of a new year and each one of us has our own expectations and/or trepidations of what is to come. Normally, this is the time when there are numerous New Year’s resolutions made, very few of them to last past the first week of January and by end of January, I doubt if there will be any recollection of any resolutions being made whatsoever.
As all these festivities winds down and we return to the normal day to day activities and routines we are faced with certain earthly matters which we often allow to take control of our thoughts and in some cases even allow it to dictate the way we live our lives.
The politicians have a way of really honey coating their words to make their supporters belief that voting for them is beneficial for everybody without saying what is in it for them. Have you heard of a politician that spoke about the greatest commandment? I for one surely have not! We regularly hear the scientists and environmentalists proclaiming and we see on television severe disasters, natural, as well as man-made, affecting our lives as well as the lives of the animals: these include storms, hurricanes, floods, forest fires, earth quakes, famine, starvation, hole in the ozone layer, global warming, melting of the ice caps, wars, hatred among nations, etc..
How quickly do we allow fear for the above to take control of us but when we read the book of Revelations, we will learn that in the end times these things will happen, and the children of God should rejoice as the time is near.
Economists and economic experts paint a gloomy picture for the year, financial strain and high taxes, rise in prices of consumer goods, higher repayments and interest rates that are unimaginable with no letting up in the foreseeable future.
How does one cope with this? All these things mentioned seems so overwhelming and in intertwined in every aspect of our lives that one can barely image how to deal with all the problems we are faced with. You know, sometimes we are so concerned about tomorrow and the day thereafter and how are we going to cope considering the worsening of matters, as we have heard earlier. We then start to develop a worrisome lifestyle, we worry about tomorrow, am I going to cope, will I have enough money when I retire?
Matthew 6: 25 – 34 says: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, you of little faith? So, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
We have to live in the Grace of God and be fully reliant upon Him and His Grace. For the Lord says in Joshua 1:5: “No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you, I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So, what do we learn today? We learn that even though everything in the world seems to be overpowering and so intimidating for you and me that it would appear as if there is no way out, we are being assured that when we seek His Kingdom and His Righteousness first, all what we need will be provided. This requires faith, and knee work. This does not mean that we do not have to plan for the future, no that is not what I am saying. We all have our ideals and wishes, but we have to make sure that our ideals are aligned with what God wants and is expecting of us. Then we can put our requests to God and the best of it all is that He wants us to be bold. He even says that we can ask for the Moon, ask for what we think is the impossible. Isaiah 7:11 says: “Ask for a sign from your God. Ask anything. Be extravagant. Ask for the moon!”
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today I want to say to you that it will not help any of us to worry about the day of tomorrow or the day thereafter, but to fully rely and live in the Grace of God, EACH DAY, EVERY DAY, ONE DAY AT A TIME.
May you have a happy and prosperous 2019!
Doric Swart
P.S. There is a beautiful song by Christy Lane, called One day at a time, which you can listen to on YouTube at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzU5jdbKOUk.