How many of you ever have had trouble enjoying the day that you're in because you're you're thinking
about or stressing about a day that is yet to come does anybody struggle with that from time to time
or is it just me okay a lot of us we we struggle to fully participate in the day that we're in
because of stress or worry or a day that's coming up for some of us here today this
is the struggle of our lives worry anxiety there's always an underlying
sense of dread about the future or worry about the future that that robs us of today you're
not supposed to worry about your future I know that seems difficult especially for young people
but the thing that I've began to really master is not to worry about tomorrow
there's absolutely nothing you can do about tomorrow nothing
you don't even know what's going to happen tomorrow you don't know how it's going to go
when you put worry into it tomorrow you're putting a burden on yourself that you're not built to
carry God designed us to live today Lord's prayer says give us this day our daily bread
and I ask you nothing about tomorrow because he wants us to live in today as a matter of
fact living in today is plenty enough he broke it down into two pieces he got the daytime and
he got the night time the daytime you put in all your work and at night you rest that's your
day if you worry about tomorrow it accomplishes nothing you know how many times I've worried about
tomorrow and then when I got there tomorrow was completely different than I thought it was going
to be and all of that worrying was for nothing Jesus said therefore do not worry about tomorrow
for tomorrow will worry about its own thing sufficient for the day as its own trouble
think about it the past exists only as mere memory the future exists only in the imagination only the
present exists in true reality so why do we ruin the only moment of existence we have by pulling
trouble from non-existent places like the past and the future if you live in the past and you live in
the future you're allowing two thieves to rob your life but if you live in the present the Bible says
that God is sufficient for every day there's a wonderful verse in Deuteronomy 33:25 here's
what it says as your days so shall your strength be I love that verse that means
Lord I don't know what's going to happen on Wednesday or Thursday I got this and that and
all that but all I know is this for this day I got the strength you want me to have as my days so shall
my strength be I live on that I mean I I've got so much stuff going on in my life right now if I want
to sit back and worry I could be a professional worrier but I've chose not to do that here's what
I've learned I don't know how God's going to deal with tomorrow but I know he's sufficient for today
and I'm going to rest in the promise that he has always kept he's never ever outpromised himself
it's not tomorrow that's coming it's not whatever has happened in the past but it is where you are right
now that God gives you every day and breath that you've got you've got it for right now
that's why God calls it a present it's a gift from him that you've got
I may not make it till tomorrow I'm I know I've made it from yesterday but folks where you are
right now you can live and Lord help me to live just one day at a time remember this
as your days so shall your strength be you're alive right now enjoy the blessings of the Lord
I can always enjoy the delights of this day even though I don't
understand everything that God is doing because life can be unpredictable
so enjoy today and don't worry about what might happen because you can't control the future but
you can enjoy today worry keeps a lot of people from enjoying life like they should they're
always worried about what's going to happen is this going to happen is that going to happen
Corrie Ten Boom said never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God
none of us know what the future is but I know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hand
so I'm not going to be concerned about that I'm gonna I'm gonna do what the Bible says I'm gonna
walk with God I'm going to believe God and come out on the other side rejoicing and enjoying life
worry doesn't drain tomorrow of its sorrow it drains the day of its strength said Corrie Ten
Boom and she's right in fact I like the way the New Living Translation puts this verse so don't
worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will bring its own worries today's trouble is enough for today
that's good stuff very well translated the secret to not worrying is to live one day at a time
we've got to stop worrying because it's unbearable because when you worry you tend
to borrow from tomorrow Jesus says don't do that don't worry about tomorrow and although
Jesus doesn't say this directly it's it's almost implicit people borrow from tomorrow that's bad
and then they steal from yesterday so they bring in the fears of tomorrow and they bring in the
regrets of yesterday into today and it makes it unbearable they end up carrying too many burdens
and this is the lesson Jesus wants to teach us you can't live happily two or three days at a time
anxiety is all about getting ahead of God it's getting ahead of time in other words
right it's on Monday trying to figure out all the what if catastrophic situations on
Thursday and Friday in fact you're trying to handle a day or two days more than you
should Corey Tim Boone said this anxiety is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength
carrying two days in other words at once it's moving into tomorrow ahead of time
anxiety doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrow it empties today of its strength
isn't it interesting that in the context of worry and anxiety
Jesus talks about our relationship with the day and I would like to say that there
are many people in this room and one of the reasons anxiety and fear might be intensifying
in your life is because you are trying to live multiple days at once and you can't
you are worked up about things that A may never happen and B you may not even be there for them
to happen to you you have now are you here are you here are you somewhere five ten years ago
are you somewhere five ten days ago are you somewhere five days from now or are you here
here's what I love about God he's so cool he's like I'm going to teach you about today
and he says um this it's not the most encouraging teaching on today you notice
he's like he's like listen today's got a ton of trouble so I just kind of focus on today because
tomorrow's going to have trouble too but I love this he's like tomorrow will take care of itself
which is another way of saying like guys that's what I do I'm in the future I'm in the past and
I'm in the present you can't be you won't be and if you try to be you're going to be worried
I just got to take it a day at a time somebody some of you want to be great
Jesus just wants you to be great today some of you want to be married 22 years
Jesus just wants to help you be married today some of you want to have kids
Jesus just wants you to be content today the way to go a long way is just be here
today here's what I know about Jesus he will give you the strength to be who you are today
we're not talking about tomorrow for when tomorrow comes it will be
today today needs my focus today needs everything I've got I need to be my best for
today because tomorrow isn't even guaranteed and it's got plenty of troubles for there
so he's saying don't let the worries of tomorrow rob you of the joy and the focus
and the opportunity of today but the problem with you is and sometimes with me we pick fights with tomorrow and we
exhaust ourselves fighting tomorrow's battles and we drain ourselves of today's strengths
we import tomorrow's troubles into today and and there's no grace for that we have no strength for
that that's why we have said for generations don't cross that bridge till you get to it
but we cross bridges that are 5 and 10 and 15 miles down the road
we've got to live one day at a time Deuteronomy 33:25 write it down as your days so shall your
strength be God's grace is a bit like mana in the wilderness he gives us enough for the day
we're in you can't store it you can't hoard it that's why I like the words of Paul Powell
there are two days out of every week we can never we must learn never to worry about
just two one is yesterday and the other is tomorrow yesterday has passed and gone forever
tomorrow has not yet arrived and is as far beyond our control as yesterday that leaves only today
for us to live and struggle through anyone can fight the battles of today any woman can carry
the burdens of one day any man can resist the temptations of one day and that's true
live one day at a time only one person knows what's going to happen tomorrow
and that is God it's very clear in scripture that God is the one who is in control of your tomorrow
but we need to be careful that we don't focus on the past too
much or the future but focus on where you're at today tomorrow belongs to God
I know you're scared the times are shaky the odds are set against you and I know you're worried
and I know you're scared I'm not saying you won't go through tests I'm not saying
you won't go through trials I'm not saying you're going to get everything you want but
I'm telling you that God has an expected end for your life and that his thoughts are good
towards you and not evil and whatever comes and whoever goes God is still
going to bless you and you stop worrying about your future tomorrow belongs to God