DON’T MAKE EXCUSES
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Joshua 1:7-8 (NIV)
Today, I was reminded of the promise that God’s mercies are new daily. That means that they are limited for that day. Don’t confuse this. God is not limited, but His mercies are limited to each day. Why? I believe because this is what keeps us in a relationship with God. There is a daily connection. I used to wonder how I could be so close to God one day and feel distant the next day. Now I know. His mercies are new each day, which means yesterday’s manna won't be sufficient for today’s problems. I don’t eat and think, wow, I’m full, and then get surprised that I'm hungry the next day. I know it, and I expect it. You should expect spiritual hunger and thirst or be aware of your distance each day; that’s why we spend time with God to fill us up.
I used to ask people if they were morning or night people when telling them to spend time with God. I realized God didn’t ask Joshua this; He simply showed him the way to deep spiritual life and building your life around God. A missionary named Dawson Trotman said the first words he would read each morning were from the Bible, and the last words he would read before bed were from the Bible. What was he doing? He was meditating on God’s Word like Joshua was called to above. He understood that God’s mercies are new each day, and that’s how he chose to start and end his day. If I don’t feel close to God, I can’t make excuses for not spending time meditating on Him. Meditating means filling my mind and heart with God's truth. It means to allow Him to fill me up. There is a promise that when we do this, we will be prosperous and successful, and what that means is that God will guide us and direct us even in the difficult things. Even the bad things will allow us to prosper spiritually speaking because when Jesus is at the center of our lives, then He can have His way through us. God’s ways are always better, but we can't know God’s ways until we know His heart, and to know His heart, we must spend time with Him. There are no shortcuts.
APPLICATION: Spend time with God each day and night.
PRAYER: Ask God to fill you each morning and night. Pray that God will make you committed to Him!
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?