Dear Thea
We talked at length a couple of weeks ago when you were overwhelmed about the new transitions that you needed to sail through. We spoke about resting in the Lord and all that it means. I thought today I would just pen down our thoughts so that others can benefit from them as well.
Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:34
Matthew 6:34
To trust the Lord today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow's trust when tomorrow comes. Often we feel like our reservoir of strength for today is not going to last for another day. The fact is, it won't. Today's resources are for today, and part of the resources is the confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow.
The basis of this assurance is the wonderful teaching of the Bible that God assigns only as much trouble to each day as that day can bear. God will not let his children be tested in any given day beyond what his mercy for the day will sustain (1 Cor 10:13)
With every day's measure of pain and pressure, he gives new mercies. This is the point of Lamentations 3:22-23, "The LORD's lovingkindness indeed never ceases, for the compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness."
God's mercies are new every morning because each day has enough mercy in it only for that day. This is why we tend to despair, Thea, when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow's load on today's resources. God wants us to know that we won't. Today's mercies are for today's troubles. Tomorrow's mercies are for tomorrow's troubles.
Sometimes we wonder if we will have the mercy to stand in terrible testings and transitions. Yes, we will. Peter says, "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:14). When the reviling comes, the Spirit of glory comes. It happened for Stephen as he was stoned (Acts 7:55-60). It will happened for you and me. When the Spirit and glory are needed, they will come.
The manna in the wilderness was given one day at a time. There was no storing up. That is why we must so depend on God's mercy, Thea. You do not receive today the strength to bear tomorrow's burdens. You are given mercies today for today's troubles. Tomorrow the mercies will be new.
So just keep resting in the Lord for tomorrow while you embrace his strength and mercies for today. Our God is faithful!
Standing with you,
Pa.
The basis of this assurance is the wonderful teaching of the Bible that God assigns only as much trouble to each day as that day can bear. God will not let his children be tested in any given day beyond what his mercy for the day will sustain (1 Cor 10:13)
With every day's measure of pain and pressure, he gives new mercies. This is the point of Lamentations 3:22-23, "The LORD's lovingkindness indeed never ceases, for the compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is his faithfulness."
God's mercies are new every morning because each day has enough mercy in it only for that day. This is why we tend to despair, Thea, when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow's load on today's resources. God wants us to know that we won't. Today's mercies are for today's troubles. Tomorrow's mercies are for tomorrow's troubles.
Sometimes we wonder if we will have the mercy to stand in terrible testings and transitions. Yes, we will. Peter says, "If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." (1 Peter 4:14). When the reviling comes, the Spirit of glory comes. It happened for Stephen as he was stoned (Acts 7:55-60). It will happened for you and me. When the Spirit and glory are needed, they will come.
The manna in the wilderness was given one day at a time. There was no storing up. That is why we must so depend on God's mercy, Thea. You do not receive today the strength to bear tomorrow's burdens. You are given mercies today for today's troubles. Tomorrow the mercies will be new.
So just keep resting in the Lord for tomorrow while you embrace his strength and mercies for today. Our God is faithful!
Standing with you,
Pa.
