Word for Today....One Day at a Time
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 2 Peter 3:8
One day…as a thousand years
I know it has been awhile since my last "Word for Today" but it's funny how time flies. Even the summer seemed to have sped by, the kids are getting ready to go back to school and before you know it will be Christmas again. I’ve heard many people say and I’ve even said a few times, “Time is really moving fast.” You look at your children and the babies that you once rocked and hand fed are now going preparing to go off to college. My, how time flies. HOWEVER…what about when you are in the middle of a battle, a test or a trial. It seems that time comes to a screeching halt. The hours and minutes waiting on your test results seem to go at a “snail’s pace”. This is when we need time to speed up and to hurry along. But time although created FOR us isn’t at all controlled BY us. God has the power and the authority to do with time whatever He desires. Let’s be honest, we have asked God many times to hurry or accelerate time for us because the thing that we are having to endure seems to be taking forever to be resolved. Though time seems to be moving at a “snail’s pace” during our trial, it is actually moving at the exact pace God designed. But because our life, ministry, health or wealth are being tested it feels so much longer. But God knows what He is doing.
Verse 9 of the same chapter reveals that God is NOT slack (late) concerning His promises as some count or consider slackness. In other words, just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean that God has a different plan for your life or the season for His purpose to be revealed in you will not come. It is that either He is preparing you for your season or preparing the season to receive you through the use of time. The older saints used to say it like this – “He may not come when you want Him, but He’s right on time.” The sooner we recognize that God will not hurry our process and though we cry, moan and plead He will manifest His promises in His time not ours, the easier waiting will be. The devil will try to make us feel as if God is playing a cruel joke on us or He is in heaven doing us some injustices. HE ISN’T. He knows the direction your life needs to take even when we don’t know. God dwells in eternity and started your life from the end and rewound it back to the beginning. He knows exactly what you will accomplish and how much time you need to do it; even when we don’t. So as Galatians 6:9 says, “Be not weary in well doing for ye shall reap in due season if you faint not.”
God doesn't conduct His business like we do often times; by procrastinating. He has a Divine process for us every day and the more days we allow Him to process us, the better we will become. Almost like spaghetti sauce eaten the day after it is prepared always has a better flavor. Why? Because the spices have had time to breakdown and blend with the sauce. God doesn’t need time to work or manifest His word and promises in us. WE DO! He is trying to get a better flavor from of us through the use of time. He can do the work of a thousand years in one day. However, we need and require time to be developed, established and purged so that His word and promises can be manifested in us. God extends our time for His purpose. The bible says, “To every thing (an unspecified item or occurrence) there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” This gives us understanding that to every undetermined happening or object, God has designed and attached a season and to every time there is a measured system of periods to our purpose. We just have to be patient and wait on our season and purpose; taking it one day at a time. And though we don't understand all of our every day occurrences, we do have a God who understands us and has design the day for us. Each day he provides new mercies. Each day he tells us to not worry about tomorrow, because He's got that in control. So as His children, we should focus on and be strenfthened to accomplish today's task and let God take care of the rest.I remember while growing up, there was an older lady at our church who used to sing this song entitled “One day at a time.” As a kid, everything about that song was amusing to me. The words were out dated and her vocal ability wasn’t at all what I would consider “solo” worthy. All us kids would laugh and snicker every time she stood to sing it, which must have been every service. Not moved by our laughter or grins, she would stand holding the back of the pew, eyes closed and begin to belt out “One day at a time, sweet Jesus; that’s all I’m asking of you. Give me the strength to do everything you want me to do. Yesterday’s gone, sweet Jesus, and tomorrow may never be mine. Lord for my sake, teach me to take one day at a time.” At that time I didn’t understand the meaning of the song or how important that song was or would be to me personally. But today I understand all too well!
Lord, teach me to take one day at a time.
Be Blessed!
© 2009 (L.O.W) Lifestyle of Worship Ministries. All right reserved
