Today Is A New Day

This weekend I had the chance to pray with some people. And each time this happens I usually am taught something from God as I am trying to help someone through the things they are battling. And this weekend God once again reminded me that so many times in our life we are battling yesterday's problems. And the enemy knows exactly how to get us to do that. He knows that if he can get us to keep looking back at things we will never be able to look ahead. And looking ahead is exactly what God wants us to do. Looking ahead at the hope we have in Him....
Philippians 3:12-14 says "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus". Meaning, no matter what the enemy threw at you yesterday, and trust me he tries to throw stuff at us every day...but no matter what it was, today is a new day and we must press on. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us and that is where our focus should be, not on our problems, but on our purpose. Please understand that I am not saying that there are not problems that come along in life that need our attention. You can't go to bed one night and wake up the next day and everything went away. I wish.....But we can wake up the next day and say "I still have goals today...and I need God to help me stay focused on those and see them through...despite anything the enemy tried to hit me with yesterday". (Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.)
Sadly enough, there are problems that come along like divorce, sickness, death and financial hardship that have a lasting impact on us. I know because I have felt things in each of those areas. But they are not things that should just "take us out of the game". God can and will give you the strength to get through anything the enemy brings into your life. But we have to lay it at His feet and not try to do it on our own for Him to be able to do this. This is the part that people struggle with the most because it requires a lot of trust in God. And in the midst of a problem that feels like it is going knock your feet out from under you, trusting and believing is tough. The enemy knows this. That is why he hits you with such big problems or multiple problems at the same time. He wants to stir up worry in you and he wants you to try to take control of the things going on in your life. But God also knows what the enemy is trying to do to you..and He wants to give you rest, peace and joy in the midst of your storm. (Matthew 1:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.")
We can walk around with the fear and the attitude of "but yesterday....". Or we can walk around with a hope and the trust in God saying "however today is a new day and....". We need to speak life into the things God wants for us or has promised to us. Especially the things that you know He has personally spoke to you. For example, when I went through my divorce I heard God say "obey me and honor me with how you handle this and I promise your future will be better than anything you have ever known". That is a promise I stand on because I know it is from Him. There are days the enemy tries to distract me with bad news here, or a problem there, and I know he wants me to react by saying "nothing is "better""....but I won't. I won't because if God said it will be better, than it will. I trust that His timing and His ways are better than mine because God always sees the big picture, unlike me who sees a small window of my life.
God, thank You for the promises You give us to hold on to. The promises in Your Word, and the promises You speak to each of us. Help us to keep our focus on You as problems come into our life and not become consumed by them. We trust You and we place our hope in You because we know You are faithful and true! In Jesus name, Amen