There are times in our lives when we struggle and there are other seasons in our lives when things are going well. During difficult times, we tend to pray and say, “one day at a time.” In fact, we tell our friends and family members to do the same when they are going difficult circumstances in their lives. But what do we do when everything seems to be going well? I have experienced this blessing lately where everything is going well in every area of my life and everyone in my family is healthy. I thank God for this blessing daily. But when business is going well, work can overtake the other areas of our lives and I’m not okay with that. I like to keep a balanced life.
This year, I started the year “feeling behind.” I didn’t feel prepared to start the New Year and felt I could not catch up from work from last year. The holidays came and went quickly and left me even more behind. Then in the middle of January I had a short trip to North Carolina and came back with the Influenza flu that left me in bed for a week. That sickness (and I’m still recovering three weeks later) put me way behind.
As I was meditating on this feeling of being overwhelmed with work (while at the same time feeling grateful for the work), the Lord reminded me that we not only have to live “one day at a time” when we’re going through difficult situations but always! In the good times and in the bad times, we must live “one day at a time” and walk one step at a time with God. We need to allow God to chart our path and we walk by faith each day.
This year I decided to pursue God at a deeper level than ever before. Therefore, I am being intentional about spending quality time with Him, in prayer, reading the Word, and simply listening to His voice. I started reading this amazing book: Experiencing God: Knowing and Doing the Will of God by Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King. I’ve had this book for several years and have not made the time to dive into it because it’s a “workbook” meaning, you have to do homework, answer questions, read Scriptures, meditate on the Scriptures, write down what it means to you personally, etc. It’s a lot of work, but what it’s doing in my life is beyond measure!
After the Lord put in my heart the theme of “one day at a time,” I opened the book for the first time, and this is what I found:
Unit 1: “God’s Will and Your Life.”
Lesson 1: “Jesus Is Your Way”
Section 1: “Jesus is Your ‘Map’”— “Following One Day at a Time.”
God couldn’t have been clearer to me in telling me that is what He wants me to do—always. Here is what I learned from this important lesson that you can apply to your life as well:
Instead of asking “What is God’s will for my life?” simply ask “What is God’s will?” Once you know God’s will, then you can adjust your life to Him! Jesus always did the will of the Father. The focus is on God, not on your
In John 5:17 Jesus said: “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” God is always working and so was Jesus and, therefore, so should we.
We need to see where God is working and then join Him.
Jeremiah 18:6 says, “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.” We must be like clay in the hand of the potter and allow God to mold us so we can do His will and the work He has assigned to each of us.
God is always pursuing a love relationship with each of us. He is the initiator and we need to respond.
God is always We must be alert and attentive so we can listen to what He’s saying.
For us to do the will of God, we need to adjust our lives, starting with adjusting our faith to the level of God’s work (the higher the job the bigger faith we need to have).
We will experience God at the personal level as we obey and do His will.
When we believe that God cannot do anything of significance through us, we’re actually saying more about our belief in God (or lack of) than us declaring about ourselves.
Every person in the Bible God chose to use was an ordinary person who by faith allowed God to do extraordinary things through him/her.
My new prayer to God each morning is, “What do YOU want me to do today, Lord? What should I focus on? This is what I have planned, feel free to change as you will.” And He does change plans. He helps me focus on the biggest and most important projects, tasks, or people who need me that day. The rest must wait until I have little chunks of time to work on those tasks. In the end, everything is getting done.
Today, I encourage you to seek God at a deeper level, learn to listen and obey God’s will. Then you will experience God like never before. It will change your life.