Embracing Tomorrow

Keys to Embracing Tomorrow

New Year’s celebrations are glamorized by being filled with parties, laughter, and excitement. What happens when tomorrow isn’t so exciting? The rest of the world is having a great time but you are forecasting down into 2023 and see some things that concern you, maybe even scare you. What can you do?

#1 – Replace Worry with Trust

First of all, life is filled with trouble. Christians are not expected to go around denying the existence of trouble. Bad things happen to us and to others that we love. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus emphasizes having a correct perspective of the Heavenly Father. When He talks about worry He says this:

Matthew 6:31–34 NIV

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, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Our tomorrows need to rest in the goodness of the Father. Often our struggles can prevent us from trusting in God.

A dense fog covering seven city blocks to a depth of a hundred feet condensed into water wouldn’t quite fill a drinking glass. That’s according to the U.S. Bureau of Standards.

Like fog, our worries can thoroughly block our vision of the light of God’s promises, but in the final analysis, they have little substance to them. —Brian Heckber, Burlington, Kentucky[1]

Don’t let worry obscure trusting in the Lord

#2 – Exercise Prayer and Praise

Too often when tomorrows seem daunting, the temptation is to curl up on the couch and hide. We have all been there – comfort foods and all. In times when I’ve felt discouraged I’ve remembered a couple lines from a British poet:

“Fight on, my men, Sir Andrew said,

A little I’m hurt but not yet slain.

I’ll just lie down and bleed awhile,

And I’ll rise and fight again.

There are lots of powerful stories from the Bible of men and women who have been hurt by life but rose up to face their tomorrows. In one instance we see two disciples in the book of Acts who have been attacked by the locals, stripped, beaten, flogged, and thrown into prison. What would you be doing at midnight? Well, Paul and Silas began to pray and sing.

Acts 16:25–26 NIV

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.

I can’t imagine what they felt like, but they didn’t let that dictate their attitudes or their actions. In bandages and in pain they began to pray and began to sing. My friend and mentor, Dave Roever understands tragedy and pain. He has written a new book called Forged in Fire that tells his life story of resiliency. He recently told the 173rdAir Wing

“Make sure when it hurts the most, you give your best,” said Roever. “Never give up!”

Dave has been hurt. Paul and Silas knew hurt. We know hurt. Tomorrow may bring pleasure or pain but it is important that we embrace it with both prayer and praise.

#3- Courage

There are all kinds of examples of courage throughout the Bible. One that stands out to me as we look towards a new year is the story of Queen Esther. It is the story of a Jewish queen in a Babylonian empire. Her journey to becoming the Queen was not an easy one. The previous queen had been executed for not pleasing the king. Esther was one of many virgins who competed for the heart of the king. All seemed good until Esther learned about a plot to kill all the Jews in the empire. Her tomorrows were about to end.

Esther 4:8–14 NIV

He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people. Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

It took courage for Esther to enter the king’s court not knowing what the outcome would be. In this case the rest of the story includes the death of the instigator of the plot to kill the Jews. Tomorrow’s often require courage even when entire culture’s seem to be against you.

Embrace 2023 God’s Way

The Bible is certainly filled with many other keys for embracing tomorrow. This devotional may not be for everyone this morning. It may be that you are excited about the New Year and have made resolutions for your fitness, work, home, and spiritual lives. That is wonderful!

· On the other hand, it may be that you needed some encouragement to embrace 2023. I encourage you to use these keys – trust in the Lord, pray and praise God, and have courage. Remember that you have a Heavenly Father who wants the best for you.

· Remember that Paul and Silas were freed and were able to minister to the jailer.

· And, do not forget that Esther saved herself, her family, and the Jewish people.

All of them could have been fearful about their tomorrow, but they choose to live faithfully. Be encouraged for 2023!

[1]Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof, 1001 Illustrations That Connect (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 2008), 361.