Ricky stopped by our table and asked if we were going to have the usual for breakfast or if we were interested in hearing about the daily special that Cook had prepared. “Let’s hear the daily special,” Stan replied.
“Ginger-flavored French toast, with a sweet cranberry compote,” Ricky said.
“What do you think?” Stan said as he looked at me. I nodded.
“Let’s go for it,” Stan told Ricky. “Two orders of the daily special.”
“Coming right up,” Ricky replied.
As Ricky left to put in our orders with Cook, Stan said, “I love to hear about Cook’s daily specials, but I love God’s daily specials even more!”
“God’s daily specials?” I replied. “How so?”
“Jesus talked about that,” Stan said. “When He was teaching the disciples how to pray, He told them to ask God the Father for what they needed each day. He said the same thing when He was telling the disciples about discipleship.”
“What same thing?” I asked.
“He told them to take up their cross each day,” Stan replied. “Seems to me that Jesus was telling them, as well as me, that we’re to take up whatever He has for us to take up each and every day.”
“Not just once in a while?” I asked.
“That’s right,” Stan replied. “I think ‘daily’ means just what it says. Daily, not just once a week or whenever I happen to get around to it! I’m to be open to His daily special every single day.”
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Bible verses to consider:
Give us this day our daily bread. Matthew 6:11.
And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.” Luke 9:23-24.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of all I need each day. You gave Jesus so that all who believe will spend eternity in your presence. You have given to us the eternal life of knowing you and Jesus in an ever-deepening relationship on this side of eternity that is to be pursued on a daily basis. I confess that too often I don’t seek to spend time with you each day, but I choose to come before you on my terms, when I feel like it. Please forgive the foolishness of not seeking to know you and Jesus in a deeper way each and every day. Please help me to do that by following every step of your lead in that direction. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life eternally with Him when it’s time? If no, why? What is standing in the way? Why do you want to be separated from God for eternity? That’s a long time! If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing in your relationship with God on a daily basis? Do you seek to know Him more deeply each day, or is it only when you get around to it? If you sense the need for change in your daily relationship with God so you seek and pursue His “daily special,” how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 