Monday, January 5, 2009

Today is a New Opportunity


Monday, Monday....
New Year...The first Monday of the year.
How did 2008 go by so fast and 2009 open it's pages?
You may be asking....Can this year be any different for me personally?
I believe it can. There is always the possibility of change and transformation for us as believers in Jesus Christ. There is always opportunity to be made of use in God's plan. Each day we have a fresh opportunity to surrender and go out to face the day in the Spirit of Christ, rather than the emotion of the flesh. We get that choice. God's power meets us at the crossroads of that choice.

Today I will quote Oswald Chambers, as he says all I would want to express:

"Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to "go out" building your confidence in God...do not worry about your life...nor about your body...( Luke 12:22) In other words, don't worry about the things that concerned you before you did " go out."

Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be the continual willingness to "go out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus."

May I suggest....
Have you ever journaled? It sounds more complicated that it is. Get a blank book of any kind and begin writing. I like journaling, because being a visual person, journaling reminds me that each day is as fresh with opportunity as the new clean page I turn to in my journal each morning. There is no need to try for eloquence or anything dynamic when you write. You may just even jot down a few gratitude's. It's your deal, no one else's business. When I began journaling it helped me to begin remembering all that God was trying to show me in my daily life. I began growing more because I was then remembering more of God's voice to me. I usually write in the morning for a few minutes and close the day by jotting down a few gratitude's of that day at night before bed. But...the sky is the limit, there is not right or wrong for journaling. May I just suggest that you try it.

Luke 12:22 From the Message
"Don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or if the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your inner life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the ravens, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, carefree in the care of God. And you count far more. Has anyone by fussing before the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? If fussing can't even do that, why fuss at all?...What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so that you can respond to God's giving."

Today's Prayer
Lord, I want to live a life respecting you. This means I must learn to trust rather than worry...to depend on you rather than to depend of my self. This also means that each day must be viewed as a clean slate a fresh page in which you will write the story of that day as I yield to you. Teach me to embrace the opportunity of each day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi Debbie,
Yesterday, we talked about prayer being the fuel for all ministry. We talked about what a privilege it is to pray. What an opportunity we have to connect with God for direction every single day.

Today, the 1st Monday of the New Year, I hit the ground running and everything went wrong. Consumed with my own pride; I forgot about God! yet how faithful Jesus is, right there, when I finally called His Name for help. How wonderfully unfair is His Amazing Love for us.
mary