God wanted/wants us to track time; to measure our days. We know this because he set the bright, golden orbs in the expanse above us to mark dates and seasons. The natural order calls for darkness and light to take turns as it also does for wet and dry, warm and cold, storm and tranquility.
2020 was quite a year. The Corona Virus, the presidential election, the economic impact on families and businesses, along with all the insecurity and unrest has been quite the ride for all of us and there is little consolation that the New Year will bring any immediate or any good change.
Usually, around this time, we have been thinking about resolutions of how we as individuals will improve ourselves as we enter into the next year. Families, companies, churches, institutions do the same through careful planning and strategic ‘roll-outs’.
This is usually all natural and good and hopefully wise, but to insure that we are being wise—especially in these fool-ridden times—it would be smart for us to consider how we measure all our days well:
Firstly: Pray the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ Daily and Mediate On It.
In this prayer, Jesus gave to us our preeminent desire, our constant focus, our ongoing petition, our key to relationships, our continual need, and our utmost assurance, all based on the fact that God is our Father.
Our Father who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
Say it. Consider it. Think about it. Talk about it.
Let the truth of it cause you to sing. Let it inform your prayers. Let it combat your fears. Let it set your schedule. Let it cause you to speed up and also calm down.
Let it rock you to sleep and let it be your motivation for getting up in the morning.
Start making a list of how anything and everything in 2020: the election, the economy, the societal unrest, 0r the scarcity of toilet paper has changed anything about this prayer.
Consider that 2021 will have its own challenges, (sufficient for the day (year) is its own trouble), but the Lord’s Prayer is not dated for our Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Secondly: (See Firstly above)
