“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Memory of the Month: 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Today's reading: GENESIS 23-24 MATTHEW 7
The Care Of Today
Studies have told us for years about the medical community and their findings as dementia and Alzheimer's patients have been treated. One doctor said to me,
"It is so much easier to treat the pain of an Alheimer's patient as opposed to a patient of sound mind. They do not recall their pain just past-so, they do not project how bad their pain will be in the next few minutes or tomorrow. They deal with the pain of right now".
In the middle of pain from injury or surgery, a sound mind will project to the future how bad their pain will be and so will demand more pain killer out of fear or other reasons and this makes their care more difficult. The nurse comes in and asks, "On a scale of one to ten, what is your pain level, 10 being the worst? A great percentage of patients will make the number higher than it truly is in an attempt to head future pain off with the extra pain management.
What if that were not true? What if we dealt with the pain of the moment and expected the pain to decrease? What if we used ice or any other natural way to reduce the pain dealing with it only in the present?
This is like a lot of things. If the human race can throw a pill at it, they become obsessed with the pill or the 'easy' way that takes the least effort. Then we can continue with plans of the future as we carry hidden guilt from yesterday.(That's a little dark, but bear with me, please.)
Jesus said, "So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries." Matthew 6:34
Jesus knew that humans will be more apt to worry about what they have done and what they will do than what they are doing. For example, what are you doing today? Chances are you are doing things today that will shore up or supply plans for tomorrow. I don't think Jesus was talking about this specifically. I think Jesus was talking about our obsessions. He knew that if we are all caught up in future plans that we would have a great chance at stepping in the mess today. Would you walk through a barnyard only looking at the gate-a way out-or would you be glancing up now and then to make sure of good direction while you take care in stepping in the right spots? If you are just interested in getting out, you will spend time washing off your boots and ridding yourself of the smell. Tomorrow, you will wake up with the stench in your nostrils, real or not.
Does this sound the least bit familiar? We go through today rushing to tomorrow still worrying about the stench from yesterday. How can we deal with today with all that is on our minds? After all, Jesus said not to.
I believe plans are good if we plan with the Holy Spirit leading us-always leaving room for the Spirit to change those plans at his choosing. If we do this the Holy Spirit will keep our eyes on the pitfalls(remember?...deliver us from evil-lead us not into temptation?) Being conscious of the Holy Spirit means we are always identifying evil we must dodge.
The care of today is not carrying yesterday. Holy Spirit consciousness means we have left our sin at the cross and embraced the truth of 'no condemnation for those in Christ' and, so, carry no guilt. Nothing will ruin a good day like listening to the enemy and picking up old guilt for sin that God has forgiven and chosen to never remember or bring up. OOPS! Boots are nasty again-there's that awful smell.
Jesus would make a short statement and tell us how to live each day of our lives and we step over it and into the mess. The law of God knows no neutral-no limbo. There is no time when God's common sense does not apply.
If it is cold, put a coat on. Mark 13:33 ►Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.
If you roll with the hogs, you will get really nasty.
1 Corinthians 15:33 ►Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Watch where you're going or you will step in something bad.
"So don’t worry about tomorrow. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Tomorrow will have its own worries." Matthew 6:34
If you chase the world, you get what you deserve. Don't daydream your life away.
1 Peter 1:13 Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
The scripture is God's common sense-not as the world understands it, but the way God thinks it.
If we get to the end of the day and say, "Well, this was a wasted day", it is because we have not been conscious of God. God will never let a day be wasted. It may be a hard day where everything broke but "if we humble ourselves under His hand and we cast all our anxieties on Him, He will lift us up in His time because He loves us". 1 Peter 5:6&7
Taking care of today is walking humbly before our God and listening...and learning...and looking where we step.
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven,
Have mercy on me. Forgive me for not listening-not being conscious of you. Teach me to live in the day and see you capture it for Your glory.
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