October
Text Box: Pastor’s Thoughts “Today” is the key to successful and productive living. Today offers us an equal opportunity to use 24 hours, or 1,440 minutes to do something worthwhile and valuable. Yesterday is simply a memory and tomorrow is a dream. I have no power to alter either mere images of my mind to save to use yesterday as a tool to learn, and tomorrow as motivation to prepare. Sandwiched in between these two images is today where my mind and heart can actually control the outcome. I can choose! Jesus made this statement ending His thoughts about His Father’s provisions for each of our daily needs in Matt. 6:33-34: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. KJV I take the Lord’s words to heart. I understand and trust in my Heavenly Father’s care and provision and believe whole heartedly that life in His Kingdom and living righteously will afford me the greatest blessings. That is what I choose for today! Therefore today, I will seek His council offered in His word. Today I will humbly pray and trust His Spirit to guide my path. Today I will set my affections on things above, my mind will explore that which will bring virtue, and my heart seeks to humbly do His will. “THIS IS THE DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.” Then comes His instruction concerning the sufficiency of today’s evil in which I must contend. If there is one thing I have learned in nearly forty years of living each “today” with Jesus. As evil as evil is, grace is grace. Many seem to think grace is a tool for the crippling effects of sin, they carry it like a crutch, ever choosing to limp through life marred by sins daily influence, calling out to grace for cleansing because another day has been maimed by its presence. I see grace as a far greater instrument of deliverance than the previous view; grace has delivered me from sin! As Paul put it what shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid! Grace isn’t a crutch; grace provides strength in the New Testament covenant to allow me to resist the devil, to resist temptation, so that today I do not have to allow sin to reign in my mortal body. I can live a holy and productive life in my Father’s Kingdom. That is what I choose for TODAY! Enjoy the Gift, Pastor Danny