I cannot sustain this pace. I can’t take another shot. Beaten. Bruised. Worn down. Worn out. I used to be able to snap back and my attitude was always the glass was half full. Today, it seems it is always half empty. I give up. Everyone else seems to be just fine.
Ever been there?
Matthew 6:34 – “Each day has enough trouble of its own…” Amen to that. Like the olive, I am pressed on all sides. Squeezed. Crushed. And tomorrow, I get to do it all over again.
Ever been there?
Don’t be anxious for tomorrow because tomorrow will be anxious for itself. The troubles for today are sufficient enough. No need to worry about what might come tomorrow.
Lamentations 3:23 – “The mercies of the LORD are new every morning”.
Just as the troubles come with each day, thankfully, so do God’s mercies. They are small and almost indiscernible at times, but they are there. When you taste them, savor them. Feed upon them. Soak them up. Rejoice in them. It can be a hug from your wife. The smile of a little child in a restaurant. An amazing sunrise or sunset. The warmth of an 80 degree February day with birds singing. The greening up of grass or the early blooming of the Bradford pear trees. His mercies can be a compliment from a friend, co-worker or customer. It can be a friendly smile from the nurse checking on your Dad. So many mercies. They provide for us. They sustain us. There are times when I am almost completely out of gas and just one of these mercies gets me through the day.
Ever been there?
Yes, you are beaten and bruised on all sides – “the harsh winds of the East” (yesterday’s post) but you also have new mercies coming your way each day – “the refreshing winds of the West”. For the olive tree (you) to produce fruit and ultimately, the valuable oil that lights the way for others, you’ve got to take the harsh with the refreshing.
The mercies are there to renew me. To restore me. To fuel me. Daily. Day by day. One day at a time. Why not a “one and done”? I need to be renewed daily. I need what only the Father can provide. He gets the glory. I truly can’t do it on my own. I need Him. I need these mercies. As John Piper says in here, “If I (God) didn’t do it this way, you’d get uppity. You’d think you have it made and you’d think it started coming from you. The fact that you run out of gas every day, puts you in the station! He has a reason He sanctifies us slowly, a reason we need to fill up daily lest we forget from where the gas comes from!”
If I forget from where it comes from, I’m going to quickly find myself back up on the high horse of my own self-reliance and I’m heading for a crash.
Deep Roots. Mighty Oaks. 