Trust God One Day at a Time

In Philippians 4:6-8 I read,  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done . . . Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (NLT)

God wants me to trust him one day at a time. He wants me to ask for my “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 ESV), not my weekly, monthly, or yearly bread.

The Bible says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done . . . Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:6-8 NLT).

This passage teaches four things to do daily to trust God:

Worry about nothing. “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34 NLT). Why is worry such a big deal? Because it’s not just a bad habit, it’s a sin. But God keeps his promises, and I can trust that he will take care of me.

Pray about everything. Prayer changes things. Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (NIV) God solved my biggest problem, the sin that kept me from heaven, when he sent Jesus to die for me. If God loved me enough to send Jesus to die for me, it's apparent that he loves me enough to take care of all my other problems?

Thank God in all things. No matter what happens, give thanks. The Bible doesn’t say, “For all things, give thanks.” It says, “In all things, give thanks” (1 Thessalonians 5:18 GNT). I don’t have to be thankful for bad things or evil. I don’t have to be thankful for cancer or a car accident. But God says that in everything I can give thanks. Why? Because I know that God’s going to take care of me. I know he’s going to meet my needs. I know he’s going to help me.

Think about the right things. In Philippians 4, God has given me a list of things to think about, things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.

Where do I find things that are pure and lovely to think about? I won’t find them watching TV or scrolling through social media. I will find pure, lovely, and honorable thoughts in the Word of God. Read it, study it, memorize it, and fill my mind with it. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT).

Make today the day I start trusting God one day at a time.

In summary, I shouldn’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what I need, and thank him for all he has done . . . Fix my thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. God wants me to trust him one day at a time. He wants me to ask for my “daily bread”, not my weekly, monthly, or yearly bread. Philippians 4:6-8 teaches four things to do daily to trust God: First, worry about nothing. God keeps his promises, and I can trust that he will take care of me. Second, pray about everything. Prayer changes things. If God loved me enough to send Jesus to die for me, it's apparent that he loves me enough to take care of all my other problems? Third, thank God for all things. No matter what happens, give thanks. I don’t have to be thankful for bad things or evil. In everything I can give thanks. Because God’s going to take care of me. I know he’s going to meet my needs. I know he’s going to help me. Fourth, think about the right things. In Philippians 4, God has given me a list of things to think about, things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Where do I find things that are pure and lovely to think about? I will find them in the Word of God. Make today the day I start trusting God one day at a time.

Imagine never worrying about anything! It seems like an impossibility; everyone has worries on the job, home, etc.. But Paul's advice is to turn my worry into prayers. In order to worry less, pray more. Whenever I start to worry, stop and pray instead.  God's peace is different from the world's. True peace will not be found in positive thinking, absence of conflict, or in good feelings. It comes from knowing that God is in control. My citizenship in Christ's Kingdom is sure, my destiny is set, and I can have victory over sin. Let God's peace guard my heart against anxiety.  What I put into my mind will determine what will come out in my words and actions. Paul tells me to program my mind with thoughts that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. Learn to replace harmful input with wholesome material, read God's Word and pray. Ask God to help me focus my mind on what is good and pure. It will take practice, but it can be done.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives. I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen. 

God Meets My Needs

In Matthew 7:11 I read, “If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (NIV)

God made everything. Everything I see and everything I can’t see. Everything on Earth and in the universe beyond. God is the source of every good thing. And I can depend on him.

As I depend on God to be my source for everything, remember four truths.

Every good thing is a gift from God. I didn’t earn anything. It’s all a gift of God’s grace. If God didn’t want to give it, I wouldn’t have it.

The Bible says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17 NIV). That’s why the third phrase of the Lord’s Prayer starts with the word “give”, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 ESV).  Why? Because I can’t earn the things God gives me, they’re gifts from him.

There’s nothing I need that God can’t provide. I don’t know what I’ll need tomorrow or the rest of this year. But whatever it is, God has the power to supply it.

The Bible says in Philippians 4:19: “My God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (NET). “Glorious riches” means God is lavish with what he provides. He has unlimited resources.

God wants to give me everything I need. Matthew 7:11 says, “If you . . . know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (NIV) It makes God happy to meet my every need.

God is waiting on me. If I have needs in my life that aren’t being met, it may be that God is waiting on me to ask! The problem isn’t that God doesn’t want to meet my need; the problem could be that I haven’t asked him to. James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask God” (NIV).

What or who have I been counting on to meet my needs? If it’s anything other than God, turn that around today. Trust God to be my source for everything.

In summary, if I know how to give good gifts to my family, how much more will my Father give good gifts to me when I ask. God made everything. God is the source of every good thing. I can depend on him. As I depend on God to be my source for everything, remember four truths. First, every good thing is a gift from God. I didn’t earn anything. It’s all a gift of God’s grace. I can’t earn the things God gives me, they’re gifts from him. Second, there’s nothing I need that God can’t provide. I don’t know what I’ll need. But whatever it is, God has the power to supply it. God is lavish with what he provides. He has unlimited resources. God wants to give me everything I need. Third, It makes God happy to meet my every need. Fourth, God is waiting on me. If I have needs in my life that aren’t being met, it may be that God is waiting on me to ask! What or who have I been counting on to meet my needs? If it’s anything other than God, turn that around today. Trust God to be my source for everything.

Christ is showing me the heart of God the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy, and I don't have to beg or grovel as I come with my requests. He is a loving Father who understands, cares, and comforts. If I can be kind, imagine how kind God, the Creator of kindness, can be to me.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives. I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen. 

What Is My Daily Bread?

In Deuteronomy 8:3 I read, “People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (NLT)

When Jesus tells me to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11 ESV), he’s talking about far more than just bread. In fact, the Bible says that bread represents four things.

First, bread represents the necessities of life. When I pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” I can’t sit on the couch and wait for God to throw me money. I’ve got to work!

God says, “I supply it. You gather it.” That’s God’s economy. Even the Israelites had to go out and pick up the manna. Work is part of God’s purpose for my life. It builds character. Proverbs 14:23 says, “Hard work always pays off; mere talk puts no bread on the table” (The Message).

Second, bread represents God’s Word. The Bible says, “People do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:3 NLT). The Bible is our spiritual food.

When the children of Israel were walking to the Promised Land, God dropped manna from heaven because they had nothing to eat. God gave them bread to show them they needed more than physical food to live; they needed to depend on him. Real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. I don’t just need physical nourishment; I need spiritual nourishment as well.

Third, bread represents God’s family and fellowship. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:16, “Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ?” (AMP)

Bread is a metaphor for the family of God. I need God’s people in my life! Whether or not I have a physical family, God wants me to be part of his family that will last forever, the church. God made it to be a place of fellowship.

Fourth, bread represents salvation. In the act of communion, Jesus chose bread to represent the sacrifice of his body. Every time I eat the bread and drink the wine or juice, it is a reminder of how much God loves me and the sacrifice Jesus made so I can go to heaven.

Whatever my need is, whether it’s physical, emotional, relational, or spiritual, I need to learn to depend on God to meet that need. Simply pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Then trust God to take care of me.

In summary, I do not live by bread alone; rather, I live by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. When Jesus tells me to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread”, he’s talking about far more than just bread. Bread represents four things. First, bread represents the necessities of life. When I pray, I can’t sit on the couch and wait for God to throw me money. I’ve got to work! God says, “I supply it. You gather it.” Work is part of God’s purpose for my life. It builds character. Second, bread represents God’s Word. I live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. The Bible is my spiritual food. God dropped manna from heaven because they had nothing to eat. God gave them bread to show them they needed more than physical food to live; they needed to depend on him. Real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. I don’t just need physical nourishment; I need spiritual nourishment as well. Third, bread represents God’s family and fellowship. Bread is a metaphor for the family of God. I need God’s people in my life! God wants me to be part of his family that will last forever. God made it to be a place of fellowship. Fourth, bread represents salvation. Every time I eat the bread and drink the wine or juice, it is a reminder of how much God loves me and the sacrifice Jesus made so I can go to heaven. Whatever my need is, I need to learn to depend on God to meet that need. I simply pray, “Give me today my daily bread,” then trust God to take care of me.

Many think that life is based on satisfying their appetites. If they can earn enough money to dress, eat, and play in high style, they think they are living "the good life." But such things will not satisfy my deepest longings. In the end they would leave me empty and dissatisfied. Real life, according to Moses, comes from total commitment to God and living by every word that comes from him. I can live by his word by: 1). recognizing my need for it, 2) agreeing that God alone can truly satisfy me, 3). praying for God's presence, wisdom, and direction as I read, 4) savoring the relationship I have with him through Christ, and 5) Practicing what he teaches me.

Father, thank you for Your Word and Jesus as my savior and example. You want me and I need you in my life. Please give me Your strength for today and remind me in little ways that I can always believe in, have faith in and can trust you in everything. This includes being the authority for my life, the source of my self-worth and my hope for the future. You have my best interests in mind. So I ask you to help me to embrace the way you’ve made me; my gifting and passions. Help me to serve and fulfill the mission you have in mind for me. 

Today, I ask you for wisdom and guidance for my day, my work, my leadership, my interactions with others, doing well and making a difference in others lives. I pray all these things through your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.