Receiving from Him Daily

by Robin Thomson

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.” Matthew 6:34 (RSV)

“Normally we would be out and about,” a friend wrote to me, as his wife faced increasing physical limitations. I wondered what he meant by “normally”—the old days that would never come back?

“Julie would be less aware of her limitations because there would be plenty to see and people to interact with. Please pray for the wisdom to find things that are uplifting to occupy her each day.”

Another friend, facing his own increasing limitations from Parkinson’s disease, wrote, “It’s hard to take Jesus’ words seriously and not to worry about tomorrow.”

I understood what they both meant. “This is going to be a long haul,” I wrote in my journal, a few months after my wife Shoko had declined into her new normal pattern of life, in

which nothing was quite the same as before and everyday life was confused. How long would it continue like that? There was no way of knowing.

We couldn’t plan our lives in the way we used to. She was losing her abilities, and as a result I could no longer do the things that I would like to. Each day brought the same challenge: how to help her occupy the day with meaningful and enjoyable activities.

Can we take Jesus’ words seriously? He said to his disciples, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow...” There are many things that all of us need, and as we have seen, Jesus promises that “your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” He is aware of the cost of living, he is aware of the challenges of dementia, and he will supply all that you need (Matthew 6:32-33).

But he does it one day at a time.

Jesus’ words reminded me of the widow who looked after Elijah in a time of famine (1 Kings 17:8-16). Elijah asked her to use the last of her flour and oil to feed him. In return, he promised that her jar of flour and bottle of oil would last miraculously until the famine was over. And they did: “The jar of flour was not spent, neither did the jug of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by Elijah” (v 16). This widow had great faith. But when I thought more about it, I realised that it wasn’t a one-off act of belief. God didn’t fill a huge storehouse with everything she needed for the duration of the drought. She would have had to go to her meagre storeroom each day, look at the “handful” (v 12) of flour in the jar and the “little” oil in the bottle, and believe that there would be enough—just for that day.

When God supplied the Israelites in the desert with manna, they collected it each day, and there was just the right amount—not too much, not too little (Exodus 16:21). As I reflected on these stories, I began to pray each day that “today I will be able to love, serve and care for Shoko in the best way for her.” I asked our friends to pray this for us too.

A friend recently wrote to me after receiving his diagnosis, “Last night I felt strongly that God was telling me to trust him for the future, and to enjoy the present. I feel much relieved with this message.” It doesn’t mean that we don’t need to think ahead or plan. But Jesus was right. As we receive each day from God, he gives what we need for that day—no more, no less.

Reflect

How much flour and oil or manna do you need today? Tell God your particular needs at this time; then ask him for the faith and strength to trust him to provide for them today. Turn that into a prayer that you can repeat each day. 

This article is adapted from Unfailing Love: 30 Devotions to Encourage Dementia Caregivers by Robin Thomson.

The Gospel devotional offers hope, comfort, and encouragement to those caring for others. Robin was born in India and spent over twenty years teaching the Bible and training church leaders there, together with his wife Shoko. After she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's he cared for her. He has written about their experience (Living with Alzheimer's—a Love Story) and has been active in raising awareness and equipping church members to help support caregivers.