Dear Church,

Yesterday we heard the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” In the wilderness, God gave the Israelites manna one day at a time. He did not give them a Costco-sized supply of bread to store up for the next six months. Why? Because every morning they had to look up to God again for what they needed. It was a life of dependence, a daily reminder to trust God for their “daily bread.”

Jesus teaches us the same lesson. Today already has enough responsibilities, decisions, challenges, and concerns of its own. Do not add tomorrow’s imagined burdens to today’s actual burdens. As I mentioned yesterday, sometimes we travel through life carrying a three-day carry-on:  Yesterday’s regrets. Today’s responsibilities. Tomorrow’s worries.

We are regretting yesterday, managing today, and worrying about tomorrow, all at the same time. That is a heavy bag to carry. God never intended us to carry that kind of burden. No wonder we become physically tired and, even more importantly, spiritually drained. Remember:  Yesterday belongs to the mercy of God. Tomorrow belongs to the providence of God. Today is where God has called us to live faithfully.

Jesus is not telling us to pretend that tomorrow will have no troubles. He is telling us not to carry those troubles before they arrive. When tomorrow comes, God’s grace and mercies will meet us there. Remember, his mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23)  So, this Monday, faithfully handle what God has placed before you today, and trust Him with what has not happened yet. Yesterday is in His mercy. Today is in His hands. Tomorrow is in His care. Carry today. Trust God with your tomorrows.

Be Encouraged,

Mathews