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"Oh No, Not Another One!"

As I was dropping my son off at school this morning, my mind shifted gears into thinking about all the things that I had to do today at the office. One thing on my list was to write another devotion for the Bethesda Web site. (In fact, the one you’re reading now.) As I thought of this, remembering that I had just recently composed one, I said to myself, “Oh no, not another one.”

But then I got to thinking some more. Don’t we often take this same attitude in life. Another day, another duty—here we go again. Many of us might feel this in the day to day “grind” of our jobs, or in the routine housework (piles of laundry and dishes) that face us every day. Or this feeling can be particularly acute when we are facing the long term support of someone with disabilities—every day seems to bring a new challenge.

And added to the day to day challenges is the uncertainty of what those challenges are going to be. We think of the needs of the person we are supporting. We want to provide them with the best in schooling, a community job, transition to residential living, long term secure support even after we are gone. We look ahead at all these needs compressed together, and it seems were facing an insurmountable mountain of a future.

But there is hope; There is Good News; There is God. In the midst of all our worry and “Oh no, not another day” fears come the promises of God. Facing the destruction of Jerusalem, the exile of most of her citizens and the ruin of the glorious temple of God that Solomon built, Jeremiah can still say:

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the LORD’S great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.

Yes, every day brings a new set of issues—life to be lived, problems to be solved—but in the midst of it all what a promise we have from God. We have great love from Him, compassion and faithfulness. God knows; God cares; God loves; God helps. He renews all of this every day.

Why we don’t always understand this and trust enough is a twofold problem: limited vision and limited faith. About two weeks before this devotion was written, I was preparing to take a trip to California with my 80 year old mother to attend a nephew’s wedding. As I looked to the week ahead—a trip to the airport, going through screening, getting to the right gate, changing planes in another city, arriving, getting luggage, etc.—I couldn’t see how it could all work out. But it did. In Faith I went ahead, took the first step and the next, and the next—and with God’s help we made it. We went and came back, and we’re OK.

Jesus understood our tendencies to look ahead into the future and worry when he taught:

Matthew 6:31-34
So do not worry, saying “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly father knows that you need them, but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Have faith that God’s vision of the future and of our needs every day is far greater than ours. And, have faith that in his love he will give you every day that which you need. So we don’t have to say, “Oh no! Not another day.” And neither do we have to adopt the fake “No Worries”, “Don’t worry, be happy”, or (Mad Magazine’s) “What, me worry?” attitudes fostered by the world from time to time.

We can face each day, each new problem, and each new event not in worry but in trust. Paul wrote about trusting because of what God did for us:

Romans 8:32
“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”

So tomorrow, when the alarm goes off and it is time to face a new day, remember who is in charge and what new every morning mercies he has for you today, and face the day with boldness and faith.

Lord help us to say "Oh yes, another one!" as we face each new day—not in fear of what may happen, but in the joy and confidence that we have a loving, powerful God. Amen!

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