– By Joe Fornear
Once there was a gardener whose daily job was to move a half ton of dirt. He was worn out at the end of each day, yet the load was manageable. Some days he was focused and peaceful even when he encountered obstacles. At other times, he didn’t feel so strong, he doubted his ability to keep on moving the dirt. The daily mounds began to morph together, forming an immovable and overwhelming mountain — in his mind.
He discovered the solution when he trained himself to approach his work…
- One shovel at a time…
- One wheel barrow load at a time…
- One day at a time.
Sure, sometimes God will move our mountains in a flash. Yet sometimes a mountain of troubles is moved “a shovel at a time” by His enduring power through us. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, the Lord promises all the coping power we’ll ever need to match our loads.
“And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
Keep in mind He only dispenses grace in real time – moment-by-moment. In other words, we won’t get tomorrow’s grace today. So don’t allow your daily loads to form a mountain in your imagination. Tackle each load with His power one day at a time, shovel by shovel. Jesus said it all in Matthew 6:25-34:
So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Read Jesus’ words again – very slowly, applying His advice to every challenge you face. If He says there are no worries – then there must not be any worries! He’s got you in His grip.
Lord, we know You don’t always move every mountain, so give us the power to handle our trials today.
