Each time the clock strikes midnight, one day becomes history and a new one begins. We can’t go back, and we can’t jump ahead. If you are like me, you see everyday as a chance to be all you can be for Jesus, and to experience His abundant life. I don’t want to miss out on one thing about today, but sometimes the enemy can steal my joy in the present by getting me to regret the past or worry about the future.
Have you noticed that Satan tries to ruin our day by bringing up negative things that have happened in the past? He wants us to remember every hurt, every offense, every injustice and every mistake, but the fact is, what’s happened has happened. You can’t go back, and neither can I. But we can make sure that the past doesn’t ruin our day.
Satan also tries to steal our joy, peace and contentment by tempting us to worry about the future, fearing what hasn’t happened yet. His is the voice that whispers, “What if I lose my job? What if I can’t pay my bills? What if my child doesn’t come back to God? What if the doctor’s report is bad or my marriage can’t be restored?” Trust me; the enemy will try to ruin your today by causing you to worry about tomorrow. Don’t let him do it.
Are you facing a setback today? A closed door? Has someone you loved walked out in your life? Usually when difficult situations happen, our natural tendency is to become discouraged and question where is God. But when you’re a believer, you can rest assured that God is in divine control of your life. Just as God uses promotion, breakthroughs, loyal people, encouragement, God also uses disappointments, closed doors, betrayals and persecution to move us toward His divine plan. God knows how to get you where you need to be. When you understand everything in your life is divinely orchestrated, and God controls the whole universe, then you will begin to view adversity and unanswered prayers in a different way. You will begin to see that things don’t happen to you, they happen for you. God has a reason for everything happening in your life and has a plan to prosper you in all things. You can trust Him to do things His way. You don’t be disappointed!
Concerns and problems flood our minds. There is always so much to do! But, God wants the very best for you but you just have to know how to recognize it and lay hold of it.
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I don’t even have time to think,” then you know how hard it is to concentrate when you’re being bombarded from all sides. It’s even harder to focus on God when we can’t take time to renew our minds and refresh our spirits by quiet reflection. God doesn’t often shout to get our attention. Instead, He usually speaks to us in “a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12, NKJV).
So, what can we do to put ourselves in a position to hear God’s voice? We have to make time in our daily lives to get quiet. David said of the Lord in Psalm 23:2, “He leads me beside quiet waters.” Today I want to encourage you to find those quiet waters where you can get alone with the Lord. It may be a room in your house, outside under the trees, or some other place where you can shut out the noise and distractions of the world for just a few precious minutes. The key to renewing your mind, body and spirit is to develop the habit and discipline of meditating on the Word of God every day — even if it is for just a moment.
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten…” (Joel 2:25, NIV)
Friend, God knows how to make up for years you’ve lost in your life. No, you can’t relive your childhood, but God can make the rest of your life so rewarding, so fulfilling that you don’t even miss what didn’t happen in the past.
You may feel like you wasted years in a relationship that didn’t work out. But God can bring somebody into your life so great, so fun, so friendly, so attractive that you don’t even remember the years that you’ve lost. You may have spent years on a job that turned out to be a dead end. You were working your way to the top; things didn’t turn out like you had hoped, and now it looks like there’s a big waste of time. You may not see how you could ever get to where you want to be, but don’t believe those lies. God knows how to make up for lost time. God can accelerate things. God can bring opportunities back across your path that you missed that will thrust you years ahead. It may not have happened the first time, but God will always give you another chance. He’ll make up for the lost time and bring you out better and stronger than ever before!
A Prayer for Today
Father, You are my Redeemer. Thank You for Your promise to restore to me the years that have been lost or wasted. I receive Your promise by faith. I put my trust and hope in You and believe that my best days are out ahead of me in Jesus’ name. Amen.
As a believer in Jesus, you have certain privileges because you belong to Christ. When you chose Him, God put a blood line around you that the enemy cannot cross. As long as you’re keeping Him first place, you have a hedge of protection, a hedge of favor, a hedge of mercy surrounding you like a shield. When difficulties come, God says that because you’re His child, because you honor Him, even though that problem has formed, in the end it is not going to prosper. When it’s all said and done, it’s not going to harm you. God is going to turn it around and use it to your advantage. That’s your heritage as a believer!
