One time an old saint and a younger believer were being held together in prison awaiting their execution the next day when they would be burned at the stake.

As the younger man struck a match to light a candle, he burned his finger. Yelling in pain, he began to weep in agony and doubt, saying, "If it hurts this much now to burn my finger, how can I possibly stand to be burned at the stake tomorrow?"

The old saint, filled with the wisdom of God, answered, "Son, God didn't ask you to burn your finger, but He is asking you to die for His glory. In the morning when it is time for you to face the fire, His grace will be there to see you through the test."

That is a lesson each of us needs to learn. You and I may not feel at all capable of handling what lies ahead. We may think we do not have the courage and wisdom and strength to live each day as it comes.

We may pray for God to deliver us. But often the Lord leaves us that way on purpose, so we will have to trust Him and not ourselves.

One Day at a Time
Sometimes just before a meeting or convention, people will ask me, "Are you ready?" My answer is usually, "Yes and no."

What I mean is, "No, I'm not ready, but yes, I'm sure God is. I've done my part. I've studied, prayed, and prepared myself to walk out on that platform and watch as God does something through me, as He has done so many times in the past. But no, of myself I don't feel capable of doing this at all."

I don't know how many times I have stood behind a pulpit without the slightest idea what I was going to say. But then it would be just as though a mantle fell upon me. I would know that it was the anointing of God, the power of the Holy Spirit that had suddenly come upon me.

I would hear myself saying things I had not planned on saying at all. I have even preached entire sermons on subjects I had not prepared at all.

But God knew what I needed, and He provided it.

That is the way you and I must learn to live - one day at a time. If we don't, we are going to end up as weary warriors and fainting saints.

Avoid Regret and Dread
God has promised to give us what we need for today. He provides manna only for one day at a time. That's when life starts getting sweet - when it is lived one day at a time.

Most of us have all we can handle in one day anyway. We don't really need to go borrowing trouble from yesterday or tomorrow.

It is all we can do to live today without taking on regret from the past or dread of the future. If we try to do more than that, we are setting ourselves up or weariness and fainting.

Source: Weary Warriors, Fainting Saints by Joyce Meyer
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers