Sunday, November 24, 2013

By: Gwen Hitt

Deuteronomy 33:25. As your days are, so shall be your strength.

Corrie Ten Boom was arrested by the Nazis along with the rest of her family for hiding Jews in their home during the Holocaust. Upon her release from the Ravensbruck concentration camp, she established a post-war home for other camp survivors trying to recover from the horrors they had escaped. Throughout her lifetime, she served as a missionary traveling widely to preach God's forgiveness and the need for reconciliation. 

Corrie Ten Bloom had to rely on God when assisting her family in hiding the Jews. She had to trust that He would deliver her from the hands of her captors in the concentration camp. With her focus continually on Him, she was able to stay strong ... to persevere. She once said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength." 

I am certain that Corrie Ten Bloom's ability to survive Nazi imprisonment as well as her willingness to share her experiences upon her release could only be credited to her decision to focus on remaining strong each and everyday as well as her resolve to resist the urge to worry about her tomorrows.  Today's verse is a true reflection of Corrie's life. Her choice to keep her eyes fixed on one day at a time kept her strong. She did not allow herself to dwell on the "what ifs" of her fate...her future...her tomorrows. 

Matthew 6:34 states "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."  Sadly, many of us are also facing desperate circumstances in our lives that have the potential to consume us with worry. Situations that fill us with anxiety .... things that are just too heavy for us to carry on our own. 

Always know that God is there for us even in those times when we have to get on our knees and crawl to Him. My challenge for all of us when our todays seem completely overwhelming is to seek His face ... grab hold to the hem of His robe. Max Lucado penned the following wise words "No one can pray and worry at the same time.  It is impossible to worry when we pray because as we pray, God responds to us. Psalm 138:3 assures us of this "As soon as I pray, You answer me; You encourage me by giving me strength." Don't waste valuable time worrying .... Pray instead! 

Dear Lord, I am so grateful for the strength that can be found in You when we seek Your face.  Keep me from worrying about what my tomorrows may hold. Help me to ENJOY TODAY!

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.