Comfort For Today

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

Matthew 6:34

We would like to justify our preoccupation with upcoming events as a modern necessity, yet Jesus spoke to correct this tendency in His day.  Planning ahead is required for holidays, to book flights or accommodation, but that does not mean we are capable of the mental and physical load worry over the future brings.  Jesus commanded His followers not to worry about tomorrow, and it is helpful for me to consider this in terms of not "stressing" over it.

Today I woke on this New Year's day in Australia singing in my heart, "This is the day the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  This is the start of a new year in our diaries but we need not carry a burden of a whole year, month or even tomorrow.  God has given us today, and we can rejoice in our LORD who makes all things new--including us.  It is easy to be caught up in things beyond eating, drinking and clothing and fix our minds on events, trips and all manner of things that trouble us with the uncertainty of them.  We can stress and worry over what we are confident will happen long before it eventuates.

Praise the LORD in Him all of our needs are abundantly met and He provides strength and wisdom to endure the day--even a day full of trouble infinitely beyond our capacity to cope with.  Our heavenly Father knows what we need even before we ask Him and thus Jesus said in Matthew 6:33:  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  When joy, peace and rest are elusive, it is usually because we (on some level) are trying to play God ourselves,  Instead of seeking the LORD and resting in His sufficiency and timing, we are easily stressed by what is not but what we imagine might be.  How good it is for us to break this habit of feeling stressed and justifying it--a tendency we fall into a naturally as breathing--and focus on the LORD who is eternal and infinite in power, love and wisdom.

By God's grace we are able to rejoice in the LORD always, even today.  Needing to learn new things or going new places still may be stressful, but the rest God provides is greater than any stress we might feel.  We will discover this reality by exercising faith through obedience to Jesus.  Each day has its own trouble, but we need not be troubled.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."  Our God is the God of all comfort who comforts in all our tribulation each day brings.  His comfort is so great and abundant people who naturally would be stressed beyond measure are "able to comfort those who are in any trouble."

This is what I needed to hear today instead of stressing over it, and I pray the LORD ministers the reality of His mercy and comfort to your heart today too.