Barbara's Banter

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I have nothing to fear.

Let’s face it! We are a fear-ridden society. We all wrestle with fear of rejection, hurt, humiliation, abandonment, disappointment, commitment, criticism, and loss. We fear the unknown, unexpected, future, uncertainty, and death. These fears can paralyze us and keep us from doing what we should or could do.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” I think there’s some truth there. It certainly hinders us from having the full and productive life God wants us to have (John 10:10).

God anticipated we would have trouble grappling with fear, so He filled the Bible with 365 admonitions to “fear not” or “be not afraid!”

A spirit of fear does not come from God (2 Timothy 1:7). So as we draw closer to God, He calms our fears. When we seek God, He delivers us from our fears (Psalm 34:4). When we truly realize God is our refuge and strength, we know we have nothing to fear in times of turmoil (Psalm 46:1-2). We have no need to fear people (Psalm 27:1). We don’t even need to fear evil or death (Psalm 23:4).

We should never forget that wherever we go or whatever we encounter, God is with us (Isaiah 41:10). So there is no need to fear!

“Fear not, for I am with you…” ~Isaiah 41:10

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because life is about progress, not perfection. You might say that I’m a work in progress.

When reading “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect” in Matthew 5:48, one might think God wants us to be perfect. They link perfection to lack of mistakes. While that may be true physically, it is not true spiritually.

The Greek word for “perfect” in Matthew 5:48 is “telios” meaning finished, full grown, mature, lacking nothing, or brought to completeness. It has nothing to do with making mistakes or not being good enough. The good news is that we are already perfect in God’s sight. We are reconciled through Jesus Christ and He lives in us. With Christ in us, we are brought to completion and we lack nothing.

While it’s true that God does not require us to be perfect, He does want us to make progress. He wants us to continually grow in grace and knowledge which is a daily process (2 Peter 3:17-18).

Our Christian journey will have many ups and downs, but we don’t need to worry if we yield to God. We are assured that God will be faithful to complete the work He starts in us (Philippians 1:6).

“Being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun
a good work in you will complete it…” ~Philippians 1:6

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I can come to the well and drink “living water.”

Water is an essential element to life. If you live with access to good drinking water, you have reason to rejoice. Our body mass is more than 60% water. Every cell, tissue, and organ needs water to function. We can live longer without food than water. Did you know that a 1% decrease in water in our body makes us thirsty? A 5% decrease will cause a fever? An 8% decrease will cause our body to turn blue and we won’t be able to produce saliva? If we have a 10% decrease, we won’t be able to walk? A 12% decrease results in death?

In ancient times, every drop of water used in a household had to be carried from the local well. Each day women walked to the well, filled their heavy earthenware jars, and carried the water home. This is what the Samaritan woman was doing when Jesus met her at the well (John 4:10-14). He told her that those who drank her well water would thirst again, but those who would drink of His living water would never thirst. After chatting a little longer, she realized that Jesus is the living water. 

We need to come to the well often to meet Jesus because we get spiritually thirsty. Without even knowing it, we can get parched and dry. We need that living water or we will perish. Just like our bodies need physical water to survive, our souls need spiritual, living water for the same reason.

This is why Jesus invites us to drink up (John 7:37). If we come to the well to daily commune with God and drink of Jesus’s living water, we will never be thirsty again.

“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” ~John 7:37

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I’m okay.

I like the philosophy of Jenny Lawson’s book How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay. Her book is the result of dealing with a lifetime of anxiety, memory problems, chronic pain, ADHD, and depression. Life can be hard. She came up with some coping strategies that she found helpful. I’m not necessarily recommending the book, but she does have some tips about brightening one’s day.

This concept of trying to be okay is nothing new. In the 1960s, Thomas Harris wrote a popular book titled I’m Okay, You’re  Okay. He promoted using transactional analysis for coping with personal challenges. It was a bit too clinical for my taste, but did manage to stay a bestseller in the late 60s for over two years.

Let’s face it! We all want to be okay. We all want to survive day to day issues with family, finances, and health. We all want to feel safe in an unstable world. Well, we are okay because we have a relationship with an all-powerful God who takes care of us.  

We are okay because God is with us. Struggles can’t diminish our purpose as we live our daily lives. They can even draw us closer to God who offers peace and calm in a chaotic world. God’s perspective helps us embrace what’s good and right, not focus on what’s wrong. Plus, we can have faith that God will take care of us. Faith is when we don’t know what’s going on, but it doesn’t matter. In other words, it’s okay!

“…Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will
help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” ~Isaiah 41:10

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because God is my provider. In fact, there is nothing I need that God can’t provide. God doesn’t always give us what we want, but He provides what we need. Fortunately, God knows the difference.

One of the many names for God in the Old Testament is Yahweh Yireh or Jehovah Jireh which means “The Lord Will Provide.” First found in Genesis 22:13-14, the actual Hebrew word here means “provide” or “see” or “see to it.” God is our provider. He will see to it that all our needs are supplied (Philippians 4:19).

We don’t need to be anxious about things we don’t have. God will take care of us (Matthew 6:25-33). God is more than able to supply all our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Jesus is the bread of life.(John 6:35). He is the living water (John 4:13-14). God is the strength of our hearts (Psalm 73:25-26). God is love (1 John 4:8). God is our provider.

As we learn to trust God, we begin to see that from Him comes all the provisions we need in every facet of our lives. 

“And my God will meet all your needs, according to
His glorious riches in Christ, Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because God knows my name.

At the end of the year, Time Magazine runs a series of articles featuring the 100 most influential people for that particular year. Sometimes they run this type series during the year in various categories such as the 100 most influential people in philanthropy, in New York, in AI, etc. Most people on these lists are unfamiliar to me. I suspect they are unfamiliar to most readers. There are so many people in the world, it is difficult to recognize even a few names.  

Truthfully, I don’t know very many influential people. Well, I do know one very influential being who trumps all the others—God. More importantly, this influential being knows me. 

Most of us would not be recognized in the world, but God recognizes us. It encourages me to know that God knows my name (Isaiah 43:1, 7; John 10:3). God hears my voice. God cares about what I think and how I feel (1 Peter 5:7). The hairs on my head are numbered (Matthew 10:30-32). He knows my sorrows and keeps track of my tears (Psalm 56:8). He knows my sitting down and rising up. He knows my paths. He understands my thoughts. God knows me inside and out, and loves me in spite of my inadequacies (Psalm 139:1-6).

I may not matter much to most of the world, but I matter to God. He even knows my name!

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called
you by name. You are Mine.” ~Isaiah 43:1 NASB

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because the Lord is my shepherd. Most of us do not live in agricultural surroundings, so it is easy to miss the spiritual nuances of the many sheep and shepherd analogies in the Bible. Some people even take exception at being likened to sheep, but unfortunately we are like sheep.  We are easily led this way and that. We need a shepherd to love and take care of us.

Psalm 23 starts with “The Lord is my shepherd…” and continues to tell us why this is a good thing. The author which is King David brings insight to this passage because he was once a shepherd himself. Each verse invokes images of how God cares for us. God makes sure we never lack for anything we need. He provides rest, guidance, goodness, abundance, and love. He is always with us even during severe trials, including death.

The first part of John 10 further describes that a good shepherd not only guards and protects, but is willing to lay down his life for his sheep which is exactly what Jesus did for us. As God’s spiritual sheep we enjoy added blessings because He wants us to have an abundant life (John 10:10).

Being a sheep isn’t so bad if you have a Good Shepherd to take care of you…and we do!

“The Lord is my shepherd…” ~Psalm 23:1

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because God answers all my prayers. It encourages me greatly to know that God listens with an empathetic ear to all my prayers. And, yes, indeed, God answers all my prayers.

Sometimes the answer is “yes.” Sometimes the answer is “no.” Sometimes the answer is “not yet.” Trusting God to answer in a way that is best for me personally is key to recognizing His answers when they come. Plus, many times He is not as concerned about my circumstances as what I can learn from them. God supplies all my needs, not necessarily all my wants. Those two are not the same.

However, there are times I ask God for what many might consider trivial things. Misplaced files, keys, or credit cards can drive a person crazy. I might search and search but to no avail. Then I sheepishly ask God to help me find something or help me let it go and move forward. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve done this and turn around to find the thing I’m looking for right before my eyes. I just have to pause and give thanks!

There are so many important events happening in the world that my tiny requests can pale in comparison. Therefore, I’m very moved when God takes the time to answer little prayers for me. It’s almost as if He says, “If it’s important to you, it’s important to me.”

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and
petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” ~Philippians 4:6

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I can pause and pray throughout my day. Pause and pray throughout each day. I like the way that sounds. It even rhymes.

Short, little talks with God throughout the day form a participatory relationship with Him. Letting God walk with us and be part of our daily lives will not only enhance our relationship with Him, but keep us cognizant of His presence. He is always with us.

We can ask God to open our ears so we can hear His voice as He speaks through our surroundings. For example, a child’s laughter can remind us to become as little children. We can ask God to open our eyes to see His spiritual perspective in every circumstance.

When we wake up we can say, “Good morning Lord. Thank you for another day of life!” We can thank Him for the taste of that cup of coffee or tea we enjoy so much because it helps us start our day. When we read a passage of scripture or our daily devotional, we can ask God how we can apply it in our lives. today.

If we are driving and pass a car accident or hear an ambulance, we can pray for the people involved. If thoughts of certain people pop into our mind, we can ask God to protect, encourage, or comfort them depending on what’s currently happening in their lives.

When we go to sleep at night, we can thank God that He never slumbers or sleeps. Instead, He keeps watch over us so we can get some rest. Saying short, little prayers throughout the day is one way we can rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks!  

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in
everything give thanks…” ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Today is the day the Lord has made…

I will rejoice today because I am a child of God.

People are actually shaped by the identities they assign themselves. They identify themselves based on their occupation, looks, education, gender, success, lack of money, or background. Sometimes they let others determine their identity which can be tricky since each person we meet views us differently. Images we have of ourselves can be hazy, like looking through a carnival mirror full of distortions. Our mirror needs to reflect who we really are in Christ, not some ambiguous likeness full of uncertainty. We are children of the living God.

It’s important that we think of ourselves as children of God first, and everything else second. To be a child of God means we are a son or daughter of the King, a prince or princess. We are in the royal family. Jesus is not only our Savior, but our older brother.

When we lose sight of this, our image can become skewed. We might feel poor when we are actually rich. We might feel weak when we actually have God’s strength inside us. We might feel unloved when God actually loves us with an eternal, everlasting love.

Thinking of ourselves as children of God reshapes the way we live each day. So let’s rejoice today because we are children of the living God.

“Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we should be called children of God!” ~1 John 3:1