Today: Part two- Providing

To Provide

I constantly worry. Don't you? I constantly find myself in this world of what if's and what could've been's. Please tell me that I'm not the only one in this sense. Tell me, please, I'm not the only one who frets how I'm going stay awake through my class periods because I went to sleep at 11 at night and woke up three and couldn't go back to sleep until five- and then woke up at five thirty.  Tell me I'm not the only one who feels her blood pressure go up when I get to Algebra and we're testing. Tell me, please, that I'm not the only one who feels like there's just not enough to sustain me through the day!

Maybe you're problems are similar to mine, that is if your still in High School, or maybe your problems are a bit more serious. Maybe your wondering how your going to feed all of your three children for dinner tonight, how you might help little Timmy with his allergies, make sure your youngest is taken care of during the day while you search for a job, and keep up with your children's life. Maybe you feel like there's not enough to keep your trekking on through today, tomorrow, and the days to follow closely in pursuit.

There's common ground to be sure, completely different ends of this, but we both agree... sometimes... we feel so worn out. Will we get what we need? Will we have the energy we need to make it through the day, and if so... how?!

Let's discuss it. I feel a bit of joy bubbling in my chest and overflowing to the tips of my fingertips as I type this. I'm about share some joy to you. It's coming. Give it a moment.

Our father in heaven,

Hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

Your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

~Matthew 6:9-13

I know you've heard this verse at one point or another, you may not remember it... but you've heard it. It's called the 'Lord's Prayer'. Jesus had bowed his heads and instructed the disciples on how to pray. This is that prayer. Basically this a prayer with a 'Jesus approved' stamp laced through the words. Jesus starts out, 'Pray like this,' and then continues with the prayer. He began this little teaching session on the Mount of Olives.

Anyway, Jesus has told us these are things that need to be brought to attention when  attempting your end of the conversation with God.

(Note: We all have that friend, you know the one, who talks until you think either their jaw is going to go slack from the work out it's getting or your ears fall off. Don't be that friend to God. You need to take time to see what God wants to say to you. And by the way, it might be important if the creator of the Universe is attempting to call it to your attention.)

One of the things that Jesus points out in this prayer is this: Give us this day our daily bread (6:11) you might want to notice something here:

 Jesus didn't say, 'Give us yesterday our yesterday's bread.' Don't carry around regrets and wants/needs from yesterday. Didn't pass that test? It's ok, don't dwell. Live today as today. Didn't manage to get a job? Don't let it trip you up. Don't dwell. Live today as today.

Jesus didn't say, 'Give us tomorrow our tomorrow's bread.' don't worry about tomorrow. Got it? Do. Not. Worry.

'Now, now, where is this found biblical.' you may be thinking that I'm an assumption lunatic by now. No. Not at all. This is all bibically backed up. So, let me show you some cool passages to back this up for you.

Exodus 16 if you want to read it all for yourself.

Ok, let me set the scene for you. Slaves, that's how you start this book out as in Exodus. Your people are slaves in a land they've lived in for years. Your baby, he's at risk now. The king says that it's to much of a risk to have so many men, because they might attempt to over throw the Pharaoh (we're in Egypt) later in the lives. None are spared in the massacre. None. Killed by the hands of the Egyptians.

Obviously this is wrong. So, God saves one kid through his mother and child to lead your people out of slavery. I'm not going to go into detail here, but he ends up in a royal Egyptian family, and then when he's older kills a man. In fear he runs and then gets called back to lead your people out of Egypt. Finally. After many trials you've been released from slavery.

Skip ahead two months and fifteen days exactly.

Your in the middle of no where.

You might as well be lost in your mind.

You are now hearing grumbles of all kinds around you, "This is stupid. If we where in Egypt we'd still be fed." "You know, it would be better to have been in slavery than be out here." "I'm hungry, why the heck did God just take us out here to starve to death?!" here's the thing, you sort of agree.

You're hungry. You're hot, and you're probably confused as to what is next. This question is hanging in the air So... now what?

You know what God does?

"Behold I'm about to rain bread from heaven for you."

WAIT!! He didn't just mean that. Did he? Obviously he doesn't mean it literally rained bread from the sky. That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard!

Oh, you doubter.

Go ahead Thomas, feel like the wise man who complains when really your the fool who doesn't know how to hold your tongue.

God will prevail. The end.

So bread rains from the sky.

So, picture this, now... you're feeling fed, you've got a belly full of food, but God's like 'don't take more bread than you need for one day.' if you take more food than you need for one day. It rots! Disgusting smells will waft through your house during the day and night and you're probably going to want to barf out the contents of yesterday. Gross.

Point: God gives you food for today. Here's the fun part of God... He holds you up. He will take care of his children. Lets look at Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

So what is God saying?

Ask.

Lets look at James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will revive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all his ways." (Matthew 7:7)  

This is like a relief and a jolt of ice-cold water at once. You want something: ASK. Don't piddle around the subject "for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." he wants you to ask. To take initiative to say, 'God I need something.'

Flip side: You can't have any doubt. Don't think, 'Well... I know you can... or I think you can... but... maybe you can do it for me.(?)" Don't uncertainly think things like this. God is so powerful that he spoke creation into being as if it was nothing but a day of work. God is powerful. He can, and he will.

"Because of our little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you."  (Matthew 17:20)

You need faith. Kapeish?

Take what you will from this blog post, but I honestly hope that I didn't bore you or waste your time. So have faith, brother, have faith sister, for God is on our side. And if God is for us, who could be against us? (Romans 8:31)

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:34)

Question/food for thought: What do you need and are you presenting it to God so that he may Provide for you? How does this affect your worry about tomorrow?

Today: Part 1- Today's Tomorrow

Today's Tomorrow

Today's tomorrow, will be tomorrow's today.

Today is a Monday. I hate Mondays, and I'm sure about 99.999% of America's population is in agreement with me. Monday's start the working week, or the school week if your a student like myself, and you have to get up early.

"I hate Mondays. I'm sure about 99.999% of America's population
is in agreement with me."

Oh, you think you have it bad? Yesterday me and my mother spent thirty minutes running around our town (she's slower than me so she told me to run ahead) and now when I walk my head spins a little and when I take a deep breath I can sense the memory of the heavy breathing tickling down my air way with pollen polluting my system and the lukewarm air piercing my lungs as if it was ice cold air in the morning, when really it was late in the afternoon. To add onto that I have a test that I didn't study for, homework due that I didn't think to finish, and an assignment with a group of people who would like to see me squirm. Did I mention I'm constantly managing to embarrass myself with the stuffy sneezes that send snot flying everywhere? What about that headache I had to miss ten minutes of class for to get some aspirin or Tylenol because the nurse was eating lunch ?

I just wish that today would end already.

This is a horrible way to live life. With thoughts of Just keep my head down, don't make eye contact with strangers so I can carry on my Merry way. And drifting through the day only to reach tomorrow.

I'm a teenager. When I was one to about seven everything was so sharp and real and in my face. Everyday was a new adventure, and no one could stop me from having a good time. Sure, I was a brat and when I didn't get my way through a fit. (this I regret) but listen to me when I say this: when I was five the thoughts I can't wait for tomorrow simply for today to be gone... never crossed my mind. When I reached seven-and-a-half-ish I think that was when I began to realize this idea that adults had. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. constantly waiting for the belated tomorrow.

I was eleven when I renewed my faith in Christ. Only until about last year, though, was when I began to notice how absurd this mind set is that we've gotten into is.

Imagine how stupid I felt when I stumbled upon this rogue, not-of-my-own thought. Today's tomorrow, is tomorrows today.

I keep thinking that and, maybe you had to read it a few times to get it, if you just are skimming through this, bored as I may do sometimes, you probably haven't put forth enough thought to really grasp this.

I keep calling on tomorrow as I lay my head on my pillow, after a long days 'work' (whatever it is you call school). Worn out, tired, and eagerly awaiting the joy of tomorrow. The next day, I wake up and, of course, it's just like any other day. I start my day off waiting for tomorrow. wait, wait, wait wasn't I just wishing for tomorrow, yesterday?
If you keep chasing tomorrow, hate to break it to you, you're never going to be satisfied. Tomorrow is never going to fulfill to you what you want. Why? Because when you reach 'tomorrow' it's going to be today. Sorry, but tomorrow isn't going to make it any better unless you decided it's going to be a good day.

Question/food for though: How can/have you make this a day in which you're not chasing tommorow? (share in comments)

I Dance with Danger

Dancing With Danger

Have you ever been in a dance that held the sense of the utmost urgency? Maybe danger slipped it's way into this dance, maybe a lot is riding on this.

Dancing can hold a Aura of gracefulness about it, something enticing and drawing in about dancing. Sometimes you want to sit back and stare with your jaw gaping open, and other times you may want to jump into the dance to experience it for yourself.

The dance I'm talking about can look hypnotizing, graceful, elegant, and a dance that draws you in even as you stare at it. Each second that ticks by is a second closer for you to join in on this dance of danger. This dance isn't a dance to be envied, though many of us will still look at it and think to ourselves, "I wish I could do that. Maybe I can. I will."

Let me tell you, it doesn't help that you think you are a bystander in this dance. You are really already allowing your feet to move and your mind to go off with the dance and the nasty music.

I have danced the dance of danger, it is not a pleasant dance. It's a shameful dance. The worst part of the dance are your dance partners though. Mine where/are Pride and anger. They are very challenging dance partners, and quiet dangerous when paired together. One may play off of the other to draw you further into the dance floor and further away from God.

I have a feeling I'm not the only one who's danced with both of these dance partners. I mean, look at Moses.

He was in the presence of God and there where times when the Israelites would grate his nerves so much that he would angerly lash out. Example: He had two stone tablets that God had put the ten commandments on and when moses comes down he sees that the Israelite's are worshipping a golden cow they made from their Jewelry. In anger he broke the tablets and had to rebuild them by himself.

Oh, what about the time that he was supposed to make water come out of the rock, but got irritated when the people and hit it instead.

Moses Anger caused him pain. Do not doubt that. At one point God tells him because of his actions (acted on and strike at by anger) he would not be able to walk into the promise land. He would die in the wilderness with the other Israelites.

Sin costs.

It costs a lot.

So God sent his son to save us from the failures that this Dangerous Dance would lead to. God saved us with his blood. God died for us. Don't disrespect that. Don't pursue this Dangerous Dance.