Seek first God’s kingdom above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. (Matthew 6:33-34 NLT)
More Wise Advice
We introduced the “Do the Next Thing” poem by Minnie Paull in the last post. You can read it here: Do the Next Thing: Elisabeth Elliot. Elisabeth used that poem for herself and to help others. It’s not just about time management and decision-making. It’s about following Christ step by step. Let’s look more at Stanza #2 of the poem.
Many a questioning, many a fear, Many a doubt will be quieted here.
Moment by moment, let down from Heaven, Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrows, child of the King. Trust them with Jesus. DO THE NEXT THING.
Trusting and Obeying Christ Helps with Questions, Fears, and Doubts
The Bible teaches that we will face many challenges. Psalm 34:19 says, “The righteous person (Christ’s follower) may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him/her from them all.” God’s people don’t get problem-free lives.
Jesus says, “In Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble and tribulation. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”1 These are His final words to His disciples before His arrest, to comfort and reassure them (and us). Because of Christ’s upcoming victory on the Cross and His conquering of the Tomb, they (and we) will ultimately share in His victory. But in this world, difficult times come. The Lord can ease our hearts, but does not always make it easy. It reminds me of this Psalm.
| Psalm 131 | My Application |
| Verse 1: My heart is not proud, Lord, my eyes are not haughty. I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. | Something went wrong for King David, and he doesn’t understand it. It’s over his head. Only God knows why it happened, and David may never know. |
| Verse 2: But I have calmed and quieted myself; I am like a weaned child with its mother. Like a weaned child, I am content. | So David adjusted himself to God’s ordering of events, even if they were not what he wanted. He learned to be content.2 |
| Verse 3: Israel, put your hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. | After having received some measure of peace from the Lord, David urged others to trust in God’s present and future care. |
Like David and Jesus’ disciples, we can’t fully understand our journey in this fallen world. But we can learn to trust the Lord who does. Early Christians were called “the Way” because they believed that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Following Him meant living a new way of faith, obedience, and discipleship. They were committed to serving Christ, one step at a time, trusting that He will also eventually work it all for good. Our troubled hearts, minds, and lives can rest on Jesus.3
God’s Help Is Given Step by Step, Not All at Once
Stanza #2 says, “Moment by moment, let down from Heaven, Time, opportunity, and guidance are given.” That’s the way God has cared for all Jesus’ followers since Bible times. And that’s the way He leads us.
Corrie ten Boom (1892–1983) was a Dutch Christian watchmaker whose family hid Jews from the Nazis during World War II. Her book, The Hiding Place (1971), tells how they concealed Jewish people in a secret room above their home. Four members of Corrie’s family died from the Nazis’ cruelty, but she survived the concentration camp. After the war, she spent the rest of her life telling people about Christ, His forgiveness, and God’s faithfulness in suffering.
Corrie taught her famous “train ticket” story to illustrate that God gives His children grace and help when we need it, not up front. When she was a little girl, she was afraid of dying and/or losing her dear father. She dreaded future troubles. Her dad, Casper, asked. “When we go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your train ticket?” Corrie answered, “Just before we get on the train.”
Her father explained that God works the same. He does not give us now the strength we will need for some future problem. When the trouble comes, God gives His children the help we need in that moment. The Lord will provide, just in time, but often not in advance. We can trust God with the next step even when we cannot see the whole journey. Minnie’s poem says that God gives opportunities (what to do for Him) and guidance (how to do it) at just the right time as we follow Jesus.
Being God’s Children Calms Our Fear
Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895-1960) told of a severe storm at sea, when a ship was battered and tossed by gigantic waves. The passengers were terrified, but one little girl was perfectly calm. Others asked, “Aren’t you scared?” She answered, “No, my father is the captain of the ship.” Notice her focus. The storm was real, not imaginary, and the boat could have been wrecked. But the girl’s confidence rested in the person who was in control. Whatever happened, her father was at the helm, and he would protect her.
Minnie Paull’s poem calls us not to fear tomorrows because we are children of the King of the Universe. He is our Captain.4 Scripture says, “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator… He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom… He rules over all… He is the living God and the everlasting King… Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”5
The New Testament reveals more about our privileged place in God’s family!
When the set time had fully come, God sent His Son (Jesus), born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem and adopt us. Because you are His children, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child. And since you are His child, God has made you also an heir. (Galatians 4:4-7)
The almighty King of kings and Lord of lords is also our Heavenly Father. We can’t control tomorrow and/or fully figure it out, but our Living God does. He cares for Jesus’ followers all through this life and will eventually take us home to be with Him in Heaven forever.
So Let’s Believe Jesus and Do the Next Right Thing
Elisabeth Elliot didn’t let go and let God. She trusted Jesus and did what He taught was right, little by little. That’s what Psalm 37 teaches. Her faith in Christ was active, not passive. She depended on the Lord 100% to help her, then devoted herself 100% to serving God and others around her every day. Therapist Michael Ceely says, “Taking just one small action will reduce your anxiety and diminish your feelings of overwhelm.” 6
Jesus gives us forgiveness, acceptance, and the Holy Spirit’s power for ethical righteousness (sanctification) lived out in ordinary ways. Scripture says: “We are God’s handiwork, masterpiece, work of art, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”7 I’ll give examples in later posts.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, please keep all Your people and us safe, because we depend on Your help. All the good things that we have in life are gifts from You. You are our Guard and Guide. In the dark times, You teach us what is right and empower us to do it. We trust You to be with us and near us, so we are safe with You. Our bodies and souls belong to You. Lead us along the path of right living and make us faithful in serving You until You bring us home. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.8
To be continued.
Notes (various Bible translations): 1 John 16:33. 2 Contentment is the opposite of coveting, and it’s not automatic for us. David had to learn it, and so did the Apostle Paul. See Phil 4:10-13. 3 Matt 11:28-30. 4 Heb 2:10. 5 Isa 40:28; Ps 103:19, 124:8. 6 “Worrying All the Time? Action Cures Anxiety,” ceelycounseling.com, Dec 24, 2018. 7 Eph 2:10. 8 Prayer based on Psalm 16, Easy English Bible.