Daily Devotional
Are You Worried About Tomorrow?
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’”
Matthew 6:31-34
December 30, 2022
Ponder This
I heard about some people who were out in a boat on a dark stormy night. The passengers were frightened, so they sent somebody to talk to the captain. He asked the captain about the boat’s condition. The captain said, “I’m going to give it to you straight. This is a leaky old ship, and we may go down. But the boilers on this ship are very weak. We may go up. Whether we go down or up, we’re going on.”
That’s where we are as we look at the year to come. It’s a dark and stormy night, and this old world is not what it ought to be. We don’t know what’s going to happen. We may go down. We may die. We may go up. Jesus may come this year, but whether we go down or up, we are going on. We don’t know what a new year brings. We have never passed this way before. But we don’t have to know where we are going. Abraham went out; he didn’t know where he was going. He marched under sealed orders. Had Abraham known where he was going, it would have put his eyes on the destination. So, where did he keep his eyes? On God. God may keep you in the dark so that you’ll keep your eyes on Him. Aren’t you glad you don’t know the future? What if you knew the demands that would be placed on you in the future? What if you knew the sorrows or challenges that might come? It might choke you down. But in Christ, we can have confidence, no matter what the day, month, or year brings.
- How do you feel about the year to come? What are you excited about? Anxious about?
- How has God changed the way you handle the unknowns in your life?
Practice This
Pray and be honest with God about the unknowns of the coming year that scare you. Consider what it would look like to fix your eyes on Him in the future.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
