Personal Experiences with God’s Word

Living Day by Day in Times of Difficulty

When people speak about a terminal illness, often the statements “Living as if every day were your last day” versus “Living day by day” are used interchangeably.  However, the mindsets for these two statements should be very different.  For most of us, living as if every day were our last day would not create a situation of peace.  Instead, the last day would create for most of us a feeling of anxiety or a need to overdo. On the other hand, living day by day, by the grace of God, recognizing that each day we are given is provided by a sovereign God, allows for peaceful contentment.  As a believer, accepting a day-to-day life with a terminal illness is recognizing that our life is not behind us, but rather, we have an eternity of life of joy in heaven with our God ahead of us.  This is a reminder that we should strive “to simply be rather than to do.”

 Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the LORD has done,

the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease

to the ends of the earth.

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the shields with fire.

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

 Be Still

“Be still and know I am God” is a reminder to all of us who believe that we control our own life. It is a reminder that “do-ers,” such as myself, need to just be so that God may use us. “Be still” is a command to not take control of our lives, but rather let a sovereign God be in control. “Know that I am God” immediately follows the command “Be still,” reinforcing the idea of letting God be God.

James 4:13-15

About Tomorrow

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that

city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do

not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist

that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to

say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”