Ps 90:12 So Teach us therefore to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

Proverbs is full of verses and passages about wisdom.

This blog meditation is about TODAY

Ps 118:24 This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. – TODAY

Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation – TODAY

Josh 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve…. – TODAY

There is only one day for us to be concerned with – TODAY

We only have today
yesterday is gone
tomorrow is not here yet,
Today is all we have, that is why it’s called the present!

As believers in christ, it is our responsibility to go to the throne at the end of each day, and put our mistakes, sins, and anything that would hinder our progress under the blood of Jesus. Then, we are to let it go. If we believe that putting things under the blood, by asking forgiveness, and truly repenting – then we should LET IT GO!

As believers in Christ, we are to believe that God has tomorrow in His hand. We cannot do anything to effect tomorrow, except to live today in the most powerful way possible. That is to live by faith – not pulled down by fear and anxiety about tomorrow.

Elisabeth Elliot is quoted as saying that we do not have to worry about tomorrow because God is already there.

Tomorrow has enough evil.

Matthew 6:27

Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life

Matthew 6:34

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

My focus needs to be on TODAY.
honestly, tomorrow is not promised – therefore, why do I waste energy worrying about tomorrow?

Choose ye this day….how to serve the Lord.

I was thinking about the 10 virgins that were called to wait for the bridegroom.
apparently, 5 of them took the time to PREPARE by obtaining extra oil. 5 did not. (Matthew 25)

They all fell asleep waiting for the Lord(bridegroom) to come.
they all heard the call – but the foolish were running out of oil.

Here is a lesson I want to dig deeper into someday.
When the foolish asked the wise to share their oil, THE WISE DID NOT DO SO! THEY DID NOT JEOPARDIZE THEIR READINESS FOR THE FOOLISH ONES!

The mercy in me wants to say “but they made a mistake! surely you can share a little!”
The server in my wants to say “it’s our duty to help out the brethern!”
The giver – well, the giver wants to give and give and give until my well has run dry.
Oh, there are parts of me that wants to say “you should have prepared!” or “if you had picked up a jar of oil, instead of the new eye shadow….” or “There is a lesson in this”

Somewhere in here is a truth – one that is not as goody goody and sugar sweet as love love love.
My relationship with Jesus Christ comes before anyone else!
Anything that takes me away from my relationship with Jesus, wears me out, leaves me too empty to stand in battle – that is something that is out to destroy me, or able to destroy me, and I could end up just like the foolish virgins that didn’t prepare!

During Y2K, there were many that were stockpiling things, along with guns to protect their families.
At that time, I stood up in a meeting of Christians, and asked how they were going to deal with starving neighbors coming to them for food. Their response was that they would shoot them. Kill to protect their families’ supplies. I could not swallow this. In fact, I stood up and said, ‘dont worry about yrou neighbors, the mormons have been saving up food so that they can bring in their neighbors and bring them into the flock. Far be it for Christians to serve the hungry and show them Jesus christ!’ Oddly enough, we were not invited back!

This has been my focus, to be PREPARED to help our neighbors when things get rough(and they are going to get rough).

A can of tuna is not the same as oil for my lamp that shines my light, the light of Jesus Christ in my heart. I need to separate the two.

Today, if you hear his voice – harden not your heart!
The oil is the word of God, hidden within my heart, that I would not sin against him.
In times of concentration camps, the word of God strengthened men and women.
Bonhoffer
Ten Booms
a story about men jailed, and each one quoted parts of the book of John, and between them all, they were able to compile the whole book.

Today, if you hear his voice – harden not your heart!
The relationship with Jesus Christ cannot be taken away from those that hold it dear.
During the first century, as Christians were being slaughtered, one man stood and stated that God had not abandoned him, how then could he abandon God in the face of death.
Foxes book of Martyrs tells much about those that gave their lives – and right up until they entered into the rest of the Lord, they were declaring Jesus Christ.
Stephen – the first martyr – preached the Bible from Genesis to the current revelation as he was being stoned.
The relationship, with the Word of God – will keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Actually, that scripture is Philipians 4:7

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

It’s interesting – right before Phil 4:7, Phil 4:6 says this:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Back to Matthew 6:27-34 – focus on today – there’s enough evil in today to deal with. Paul tells us how to ‘not be anxious’ in his letter to the Phillipians – take everything to the Lord in prayer.

How can that bring peace?
Because we have a high priest (Jesus Christ) that knows us well, and has made a way into the throne room for us.
Heb 4:

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Coming boldly unto the throne of grace requires the relationship with Jesus Christ. That relationship grows through prayer(time with Him) and study of the Word(getting to know Him).

We can do all things through Jesus Christ – including taking on the evils of this day – TODAY.

One other thought about the oil – often oil is a symbolism of the Holy Spirit.
I belive that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a second and separate invitation. Once saved, the Holy Spirit comes and abides with you. When invited in, the Holy spirit abides within, and the power of the Godhead dwells within the believer. Could it be that the foolish virgins were those that walked with Christ, but never asked the Holy Spirit in, in order to be empowered from on high? I would not give up my relationship with the Holy spirit within me for anything. And, if the indwelling of the Holy spirit is the only thing to keep me until the end, I can only offer it to others to go get it, I cannot give of mine to them.

It is the very endwelling of the holy spirit that keeps my heart burning for the Lord, learning of the Lord, and shining a light to the world.

I do like how Christian Apologetics explains the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, with wise counsel and warnings of the possible division.

WISDOM
Whatever way the oil is understood, relationship, word, baptism, it is crucial to understand that preparation is necessary to awaite the bridegroom. To apply my heart to wisdom, I must cherish my relationship with God the Father,through Jesus Christ, and by the Power of the Holy spirit. I must appreciate the importance of His Word to strengthen me to not sin. I must not grieve the Holy Spirit that dwells within, and learn to listen to that still small voice.

TODAY if you hear his voice, harden NOT your hearts!

Lord God, I come into your throne room, asking for grace and mercy that I would make sure that my lamp is full, and that I have reserves to handle whatever comes. I thank you that I only have to deal with today. Yesterday I put under the blood of Jesus, so that I can start new this morning, with your mercies. Tomorrow I put into your hand, and I thank you that you are already there. This is the day that the Lord has made – I will rejoice and be glad in in.

Thanks for joining me in this journey,
In His hands and under His wings,
~Christi
Ps 63:7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

I want to thank Blue Letter Bible and Bible Gateway for the ability to search the Bible online.

“The Lord does not give me rules, but He makes His standard very clear.
If my relationship to Him is that of love, I will do what He says without hesitation.
If I hesitate, it is because I love someone I have placed in competition with Him, namely, myself.” – from My Utmost for His highest

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