God, What Do You Want Me to Do Today?

As we continue to live through this time of sheltering in place, social distancing, and very limited group contact, it is easy to become weary of the daily grind of it all.  With constant questions rippling through my mind like when will this be over, will my loved ones be okay, will we be okay financially, I find that planning and setting goals is crucial to my survival.  Even though I do not know many of the answers to my troubling questions, I do know the God who does.  And the knowledge of His eternal love for me helps me to look past the grind of isolation and set goals for the things I can control or influence.  It is usually at this point that my wife says, “Yuck, I don’t like or have the energy to set goals and focus on strategic planning.”   But looking at life through the lens of corporate planning is not what I am talking about.  What am I recommending?

I start each day with the following perspective.  I ask God to remind me of who He is, and I thank Him for another day of life.  Whatever my present circumstances and emotions, the promise and direction of Galatians 2:20 will always ring true.  I then ask God to capture my heart for the things He wants me to know and learn today.  This is usually where He and I have an honest discussion about my life, my fears, my weaknesses, and my selfish desire to live life my way.  I then listen to some music and spend time reading scripture.  

Along the way, I write down things I think He wants me to apply, change, or do.  These items then turn into my daily goal or task list.  If the word “goal” weirds you out, try substituting it with the word priority.  Written in the form of a question, “God, what do you want me to do today?”  My priorities usually fall into the relational categories of family, church staff and members, and the lost in the community.  Who should I call on the phone, who should I pray for, who needs a letter or email, and who could I zoom today? (It’s weird that zoom has turned into a verb)  And with these things written down, I now have my marching orders for the day, and often the week.

Do things always work out the way I plan them?  Absolutely not.  God is God, and He has every right to change or disrupt my plans.  But at least I am motivated to move in a direction until God feels fit to alter my priorities.  I finally ask God to direct and empower me by the Holy Spirit as I start the day.  I hope that something in this post speaks to your heart and helps you endure and even be productive in these challenging times.  God is good, He loves you lots, and He is excited to spend the day with you.

God Bless and I continue to pray for you all. 

Derek

P.S.  If you are looking for some good classical vocal music to help you plan, try the 2018 album “Si” by Andrea Bocelli.  I especially like the duet he sings with Dua Lipa☺

Watch the video devotional "God, What Do You Want Me to Do Today?" below or browse previous video devotionals from Pastor Derek.