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

“One day at a time” is a popular phrase many of us have spoken.  I dare say it’s used most frequently when we are in tough challenges or gripped by overwhelming types of situations.  In the famous Biblical account of Job, he experienced loss of material possessions, endured family and friend betrayal, suffered great physical maladies, and was critically jolted by the death of his ten children.  Until the story ends in his full restoration by the grace of God, he too must have resorted to a type of brow-wiping “One day at a time” saying—hoping to minimize and control the painful duration of his continuous hardships.

The reality of life’s horrific pain, tribulation, disappointments and the upsetting conditions we’re experiencing these days are not to be minimized or denied.  What we’d like to suggest or bring to light, however, is another attitude in the “One Day at a Time” perspective.  We believe God’s idea of time, events, and purpose is what we all need to deploy in order to stand in faithful confidence, no matter what viral pandemic, and political or social unrest comes our way.

First of all, the Bible says that God is our everlasting, loving Creator/Father who knows everything.  His thoughts and ways are not like our thoughts and ways, He is not a man, and He never lies. His idea of a day is a thousand years. (2 Pet 3:8) So, if there were ever to be a professor of time, ultimate direction, and problem-solving ability, then it wouldn’t be you, me, or any other human or group of humans… It would be Him.  If we look in His manual (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth), there are innumerable study guides that give us the mind to think peacefully and creatively in our circumstances, and the wings to fly above the turbulence of this world’s air currents.

May I offer you a scriptural one-two punch that an inmate relied upon and once shared with me several years ago.  It was during a prison ministry visit at the Dartmouth Jail and House of Correction. In the midst of an atmosphere of doom and gloom, this muscular, tattoo-covered guy sat there with an inner peace that only the Spirit of God could produce. Please take time, read and meditate on Isaiah 32:17 (”And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever”) and Ecclesiastes 4:6 (”Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit”).

So family and friends, an intimate oneness with God is what we need injected in the use of our “One Day at a Time” response.  In the midst of our most challenging day, we still have time to thank Him for what He’s done, do whatever we can to honor Him, and to have faith, joy, and patience that all things are working together for our good because we still love Him.  Not only was He the correct answer for old Job and a current inmate in the most trying and despairing circumstances of their day, He also is the right choice for you and me!

Phil 4:13; Rom 8:28; Ps 37:2; Ps 46:10; Heb 11:6; Heb 13:5

Editor’s Note: By the way, this does not warrant an edit, but it is interesting to note that the real end of Job’s story was not when he had everything restored to him, but it was when he finished his race on planet earth many years after that restoration. Job 42:16-17. He enjoyed many more good years in his life than the period of time where it all fell apart. Our Father is so wonderful and kind!!