“Is it our business to pry into what may happen tomorrow? It is a difficult and painful exercise which saps the strength and uses up the time given us today. Once we give ourselves up to God, shall we attempt to get hold of what never belonged to us – tomorrow? Our lives are His, our times in His hand, He is Lord over what will happen, never mind what may happen. When we prayed, ‘Thy will be done,’ did we suppose He did not hear us? He heard indeed, and daily makes our business His and partakes of our lives. If my life is once surrendered, all is well. Let me not grab it back, as though it were peril in His hand but would be safer in mine!
Today is mine. Tomorrow is none of my business. If I peer anxiously into the fog of the future, I will strain my spiritual eyes so that I will not see clearly what is required of me now.” – From Keep a Quiet Heart, Elizabeth Elliot (Pg 53)
This speaks to me so strongly, because I have so much trouble staying in the moment. But staying in the moment is something the Lord has been teaching me for years, and is a gem of a strategy for keeping a quiet, peaceful heart. I often spiral down into fear over future concerns before I even realize it, and then somehow snap back to the reality of this truth. It takes a two-second decision to open my hands and ask God for his grace to trust him, and He does it. Often I get to practice this over and over and over, surrendering MY will to His will, but over time He does it.
Lord, help us hold to this truth that You are actively in the details of our days, and that Your will really is better than our own. I think of Romans 12:2 – not only that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds, but your will is good, acceptable and perfect. Good for us, something we can accept, and absolutely perfect.
