TODAY IS…

a fine day to see possibilities through our fears and our tears.

“So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month of Elul, in the fifty and two days.”  Nehemiah 6:15 KJV

A child struggles with the task of learning to tie his or her shoelaces.

Failure breeds frustration which unleashes a torrent of tears. We quietly comfort and gently encourage, trying to instill confidence. The frustration brings out an angry “I can’t!” followed by our gently positive response, “You can. It just takes practice, patience, and focus.”

Growing up is accompanied by repetitions of this scene with the only thing different being the ‘it’ that can be done.

Though the Jews had been back in Jerusalem for many years after being exiled, the walls surrounding the city, which had been torn down in many places, were still in need of rebuilding. The walls were intended to provide security and safety as well as a source of beauty to the city. Its many gates, which were massive, had been burned and were in need of rebuilding as well.

To many people, the task was so enormous as to be an impossible one.

Nehemiah knew that the answer could be found in prayer. He knew that seeking God’s approval and asking for His guidance would result in a plan that would restore the wall, the gates, and the beauty, safety, and security that they represented.

Many of us will give vocal acknowledgement that prayer is a powerful tool to employ in any task that may loom before us, but simply saying it doesn’t make it so.

The power of prayer to seek the approval and gain the assistance of God is real and it is only our faith that can unleash its power. It is not enough to mouth the words or go through the motions, but true faith will produce a prayer that is sincere. God will hear it and we will find the path to our objective stretched before us with all that we need to arrive at our destination or to accomplish our task.

Remember the words of Jesus when the father of the boy who was ill expressed doubt. His response could not be any clearer:

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?’ Jesus asked. ‘Anything is possible if a person believes.’” (Mark 9:23 NLT).

The challenges confronting us on a daily basis may be considerably more difficult than learning to tie our shoes. But if we pray with faith, God will turn the seemingly impossible into possibilities to be realized and will give us all that we need to realize them.

*******

Taken from “TODAY IS….A Gift From God”, (C) 2013 Tony Casson