“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34, NIV)
If you play golf, you’re going to worry. It happens every time you hit it off line and you can’t see where the ball ends up. Hit it in the rough or sand and you’ll worry about your lie all the way there. Hit it in the trees and you’ll worry about whether you have a backswing or a clear way out. Not even a “you’ll be fine” from your partner can take all the worry away until you see for yourself what your next shot will demand of you.
The spread of the coronavirus has caused the same kind of concern. Even if you are positive person who normally cruises through the demands of life, this virus will cause you to look around and take caution.
That’s what my family did. We wore our masks, carried hand sanitizer, practiced social distancing, and came and went from the golf course with minimal interaction before and after the round. I did all this until somewhere I let my guard down or walked into the disease in spite of my care. In the week before Christmas, I lay in bed with a fever and cough, wiped out by this invisible enemy. Then my wife got it, then my son. Can I tell you, this disease is real!
Taking every necessary caution is one way to limit our worries. I mean, we could hit a pitching wedge on every shot, and maybe we’d never have to worry about whether we can find our ball in the weeds. But life can’t really be lived that way. Not all the time. Which must be why Jesus had to remind his disciples that worry really does no good.
In fact, the Bible gives us directions not to fear exactly 365 times—one for every day!So what else can we do to manage our worries and concerns? Here are some things I learned again during my time in bed.
First, prayer keeps us close to the one who helps us most. In my pain, I would pray and hold on to every word God gave me. I pleaded with God to heal me, to make me well!
Second, rely on those God has given you to help you. For me, this was two groups of people: experts and friends. When we are sick (and even when we are well), we need to listen to our doctors. Mine gave me important medications and reminded me to rest and stay hydrated. God honored a doctor by having him write the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts! These smart people matter. And then there were my friends, especially those who had also endured COVID. Through their encouragement, I was able to believe and remind myself, “This too shall pass.”
I write these words having recovered. I feel 100% healthy. God is faithful and good! He answered my prayers and the prayers of so many friends who were praying for me.
I just wish this meant that I would never worry again. But Jesus knows us better than that, doesn’t he? This is why he told us to let tomorrow worry about itself. In fact, the Bible gives us directions not to fear exactly 365 times—one for every day! We don’t need to help our worries along.
During the middle of the storms that I know many of you have felt—whether battling with health, financial, family, or personal challenges in this life—God is there by your side and his word is the promise we need to get through it! We can cast our cares on him; he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).
—
Dereck Wong
January 13, 2021
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
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