“Make it a good day.” For a while, an NPR reporter signed
off the daily business report with those words. They don’t say that now. And yet,
in spite of reports of job loss, foreclosure, and retirees going back to work,
we can make it a good day. Because God is good. Because of God’s goodness,
making a day good may be difficult, but it’s not impossible.
I’ve never lost a job, though I have been very
poor, to the extent of a few months on welfare. God provided. During a drought
in Israel, the ravens fed Elijah. The good God provided. Jesus says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33, KJV) If we seek him, he has taken on this responsibility—to provide “all these things”—food and
clothing. We can expect him to fulfill his good promise. We fulfill our responsibility
by putting him and his kingdom first.
What
does that mean? It means letting God shape all our attitudes. In this economic
climate, it means fighting fear and cultivating faith. It means reading the Bible.
Reading other stories of faith. For some of us, it means giving him the first
half-hour of our day. Maybe it means practicing the presence of God, like
Brother Lawrence, minute by minute, as we wash dishes, wipe baby’s bottom, and
do the laundry. It means saying, “Jesus, you know my heart and you know my
needs. You are the source of my life and strength. Thank you.”
It means
asking God what it means for us, so that he himself will teach us and give us the
power to make today a good day.
Father,
we need your perspective. Today, may we see your goodness.