Don’t worry about tomorrow. God is already there.”

Daily Guideposts, June 24, 2022

On hostile missions, the military sends certain troops ahead to clear the path of enemy weapons and explosives for other troops to pass or attack without being impeded. Some advance forces may sweep for mines that can explode with contact from service members on foot on in vehicles. These advance forces may even disable or eliminate anti-aircraft weapons which can attack our planes carrying people, supplies or equipment.

Sometimes we worry about tomorrow. How am I going to do on the interview? Am I going to bomb the presentation? Am I going to make a good impression on my big date? Is my child going to do well in their game? Will my spouse and I resolve the conflict quickly? If we remember that God is in control and He is yesterday, today, and forever, it can provide reassurance that we do not have to worry. Sure, we may be anxious or concerned, which is normal, and it may even push us to pray more. But we do not need to lose sleep or appetite. At the event tomorrow, he is already there.

Do not be afraid or discouraged for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or abandon you (Deuteronomy 3:18).

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

Courage is…

• Speaking up when you feel your voice may not be heard
• Saying no to a temptation when you are in the minority
• Admitting you are wrong when you don’t know if the other party will admit their wrong too
• Making that next step toward improving yourself in the face of the unknown
• Correcting your child at the risk of them withholding their love at that moment
• Getting up promptly to face the day even when you seem to feel overwhelmed
• Trusting God will come through for you, not in the way you want, but in the way you need

In the familiar bible story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), David exhibited courage in multiple ways before he finally conquered the giant…

• Although a teenager, he willingly faced a giant who towered over him at more than nine feet tall (verse 4)
• David wanted to face the enemy even though he was in the minority as everyone else around was terrified of the giant (verse 11)
• He persisted for the opportunity to fight even though his status was insignificant because he was the youngest among eight brothers (verse 14)
• David remained interested in what was going on even though his eldest brother was angry at him for it and even accused him of being deceitful and prideful for being among the troops (verse 28)
• He still wanted to face Goliath even though the king dismissed him as not having a chance of winning against the giant (verse 33)

Fortunately, David remained focused on who was on his side – God – and acted boldly (verse 37)…

• He believed in the tools he had, which were a staff, sling and five smooth stones (verse 40)
• David’s conviction enabled him to envision how he was going to defeat the giant (verse 46)
• David did not walk but ran toward his opponent (verse 48)
• God enabled the single stone David threw to accurately hit the bullseye, Goliath’s forehead, and put his lights out (verse 49)

Courage enables you to conquer your giants. What is also interesting is the conquest will benefit not only you but others as well. Take courage.

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:1

Write down one way in which you can exhibit courage today.

Sometimes I play a digital game called Word Collect. It helps you to recognize all the words that can be formed from jumbled letters. Sometimes no matter how hard and long I look to find another word, I cannot seem to recognize one. But I discovered a couple tricks which always help. One is stepping away from the puzzle to do something else then returning and the other is shuffling the letters. When I do these, words which were not obvious suddenly reveal themselves. So, the same letters arranged differently or seen from a unique perspective produce the desired result.

You may have a challenge today in which you cannot seem to determine the next best move or determine a solution. It may be a troublesome relationship, finding the right someone, a tough boss, insubordinate employees, rebellious children, a study problem, unreasonable partners, buyers, or sellers. First, take a moment to bring it before God and acknowledge that you need His help. He may speak to your heart, change the heart of the other party, or send someone else to offer you a solution. You would need to remain aware of how your answer is revealing itself.

You may need to step away for some time to reset your focus. It could be a few minutes or hours. You will decern how much time is appropriate with God’s help.

This one is key and the actions before may help you get there. You may need to look at it from another perspective – shuffle. With God’s help and time away, you will realize that productive angle. You may need to consider the position of the other party if people are involved. With a shuffle to provide another perspective you may be surprised at how easy and obvious the next best move or even the solution is.

As it relates to God’s best intentions for you, Jeremiah 29:11 says,

For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.