Daily Thought for Monday, January 31st

January 31, 2011

Perseverance

Today’s Thought:

“The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly.  That is dedication.”  - Cecil B. De Mille

Today’s Question

Are we there yet?

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

Have you ever taken a long journey in a car with one or more young children?  Typically they tend to inquire as to how much longer and how much further by whining in a sing-songy tone, “Are we there yet?”  If you have never enjoyed this anthem of impatience, coupled with the battle cry of, “I’m bored,” you have not lived a full and complete life. (Only kidding)

Nonetheless this is a commonplace occurrence with children that they are either bored or desirous of being where ever it is they are not and wanting to do what ever it is they are not doing.

Many adult Christians aren’t much different in their daily spiritual journeys.  As we travel down the road of life we cry out to the Heavenly Father, “I’m bored,” “Haven’t I done that already,” “I thought I learned that lesson,” and of course the infamous “Aren’t we there yet.”

Aren’t you glad God has unlimited patience and is willing to persevere with us?

He had told us to live each day by taking up our cross to follow Him, and by putting our hand to the plow, giving no thought for the morrow and to be content in whatever state we find ourselves in.  Often, we do not do these things very well.

There is so much work to be done before the Bridegroom comes to call His bride to the wedding feast; but how much are we getting accomplished?  Are we too busy being bored, dissatisfied and ungrateful to do what needs to be done?

John Newton may have had the right idea when he wrote, “We can easily manage if we will only take, each day, the burden appointed to it.  But the load will be too heavy for us if we carry yesterday’s burden over again today, and then add the burden of the morrow before we are required to bear it.”

Mother Teresa put in best when she said, “I just take one day.  Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not come.  We have only today to love Jesus.”

And to love Jesus means to keep His commandments and do the will of His Father.

We need to take one day at a time, labor for the Master and persevere until He comes.

 

Today’s Verses:

In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat.  But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

John 4:31-38

Today’s Prayer:

Father, thank you for yesterday and forgive me for what I did not do; help me to make the most of today and then if you give me a tomorrow may I start this process all over again.