Lisa Barry: There are many things women are praised for. They are lauded for their sensitivity, their ability to keep track of each family member?s schedule and homework assignment. Mothers have a high threshold of pain. They have a resilient spirit that contributes to a long life and happiness. However, one area women don?t score well in is the tendency to worry. We have no trouble worrying about our own families, our extended families, the poor people of the world and any other cause that might tug at our hearts. What can we do about it? Elisabeth Elliot has a few suggestions for us as we begin this Friday edition of Gateway to Joy.

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That?s what the Bible says. "And underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, continuing to talk today about fear of the future.

I?ve been corresponding with a woman out in Oregon, who has gone through some deep waters. Most recently, she had twins that had to remain for 66 days in the NICU. There were various problems, but the children now weigh 6 ? pounds, which she says is a miracle. This was written on February 18. Their due date was February 23, but they were born 66 days early.

"What an adventure this has been! The Lord has worked so powerfully that I can honestly say I am a different person. Never have I had such joy in the work God has given me. Never have I been so thankful for sleepless nights and fussy times with babies. Out of the zillions of lessons I have learned during our time in Portland, a few stand out above the rest. The Lord was finally able to break through a spirit of fear that lingered in the corners of my heart.

My deepest fears about a twin pregnancy were realized?premature, C-section, etc. Yet the Lord allowed these things to happen, and now I can rejoice in them. I truly believe in my heart of hearts that God is with me, even in the darkest hour. I need not fear, for God is with us.

Living one day at a time has a much richer meaning to me now. We have no idea what tomorrow will bring. So love God with our whole heart today. Serve my husband today. Be kind. Have joy. Rejoice. Give hugs. Pray. Pray. Pray. And do the next thing?today.

Although it was a stressful time, it was a sweet season for our family. Jonathan took more time off than in all of the last 8 ? years, so the boys were comforted and secure by his presence. Jonathan worked with the bureaucracy madness, a long, non-edifying story which I won?t go into, and truly he was my protector. The Lord has blessed us with a trust set up to help pay incredible medical bills and cover Jonathan?s time off.

Every time I thought I could not handle one more bit of news or a bad nurse, even when it would happen, God?s peace poured out upon me. I also learned that through the peaceful times of life, one must pour Scripture. The prayers of the church, hymns overflowing into one?s heart?diligently and purposefully. Pour these into one?s heart for the day when life does not afford long times of meditation and prayer, or even time alone. You can retreat to the tended garden of your soul." You can retreat to the tended garden of your soul?I love that?"and be at peace, even amid chaos, buzzing alarms and unending idle talk amongst the staff." Of course, she is speaking there of the experience there in the hospital.

"I did not feel as prepared for this as I would have liked, and I take it as a great mercy that God allowed me to see this. I pray that I will heed the urgency of this work and also pass it on to my children."

Another letter about having no fear of the future. It?s so encouraging to receive letters like this. "I pray that I can learn the lesson of doing the next thing daily," she says. "This morning I noticed Paul doing the next thing day and night. In Acts 20:33-35, he reminds the Ephesian elders how he had worked to support himself and his disciples by tentmaking, while he carried on his three-year ministry to them. He saw this as following Jesus? example. It is more blessed to give than to receive.

I thank the Lord Jesus Christ for helping to raise me to become a godly woman by using women like you. Really, Elisabeth, thank you for answering the Lord?s call and thank you for your ministry. Sometimes I despair, because I think I must be like I have always been and like the examples I was raised around and am surrounded by now. But God has been encouraging me that this is a lie, and that He has changed me and will continue to transform me into Christ?s likeness. Knowing that this is what He will do is the reality, and my future is a huge comfort to me and very exciting."

Thank you, Carla, for those encouraging words. You who are listening, let not the future be anything but a comfort to you. Remember?God is already there. God is already in the future. The past does not belong to you. Leave it with God. It belongs to Him. All God is assigning to you is today. All you have to do is the next thing.

Another letter from Darlene. "I have found God?s provision cannot be calculated in a budget. Most of my wardrobe has been given to me. I?ve been amazed at how matching items would come from two different individuals. I am thankful for God?s provision for health, food, clothing, shelter, transportation and the love and support of family and friends. Instead of getting tense about paying bills, I have learned to give thanks for the money to pay each bill. I do not live on credit cards and always have the money to pay bills. I?ve found that life is hard many times, but God is faithful. Difficult circumstances are merely God?s tools to conform us to His image, but we must submit to God?s will in each circumstance for His work to be accomplished."

I?m very glad that this lady wrote about credit cards. Are you in debt to the credit card companies? Do you realize that the Bible says, "Owe no one anything"? Owe no man anything, the Bible says. If you use a credit card at all, you should pay it monthly in full. If you are borrowing beyond your means, I don?t think that pleases God. We need to be extremely careful with the use of credit cards. I would suggest that if you have a problem, that the best thing for you to do is to just cut them up and throw them away and quit using them.

Now there are some things for which you have to have a credit card. I know for sure that you cannot rent a car unless you have a credit card. My husband and I often need to rent cars, so we do have a credit card. But let me assure you, it is paid faithfully in full every single month.

I can understand why people begin to fear tomorrow because of the load of debts that they have. Ask the Lord to show you how you can cut back, deny yourself some things that you want, so that you can get out of debt and be obedient to God. Remember that He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

The primary condition for learning what God wants of us is putting ourselves wholly at His disposal. It?s just here that we?re often blocked. We hold certain reservations about how far we are willing to go, what we will do or will not do, and how much God can have of us or of what we treasure. Then we pray for guidance. It will not work. We must begin by laying it all down?ourselves, our treasures, our destiny, and then we?re in a position to think with renewed minds and act with a transformed nature. The withholding of any part of ourselves is the same as saying, "Thy will be done, Lord, up to a point, but it?ll be mine from here on."

Paul gives us four important steps to discern the will of God. Number one, offer your very selves to Him. Number two, adapt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world. Three, let your minds be remade. Let your whole nature be transformed. Then you will be able to discern the will of God. That?s from Romans 12:1,2.

Let me read again this wonderfully simplifying principle of "Do the next thing."

"At an old English parsonage down by the sea, there came in the twilight a message to me. Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that hath, as it seems to me, teaching from heaven. And all through the hours the quiet words ring like a low inspiration, ?Do the next thing.?

Many a questioning, many a fear, many a doubt hath its quieting here. Moment by moment, let down from heaven, time, opportunity, guidance are given. Fear not tomorrows, child of the King, trust them with Jesus." Now can you say it with me? "Do the next thing."

If you?re fearing tomorrow, let me remind you what this poet says. "Moment by moment, let down from heaven, time, opportunity, guidance are given." He is not going to give you time and opportunity and guidance today for next week necessarily. If you need it, He?ll give it to you. But only God knows whether you really need it. The guidance will always come in God?s time.

Lisa Barry: As we close today?s program, I?d like to quickly recap the resources mentioned all week long. Of course, you can always purchase a tape of the broadcast. This week?s is entitled LOST AND FOUND. I also told you about a great devotional book called JOY AND STRENGTH. If you need some new material for quiet time, that book might just be what you need. I also mentioned Amy Carmichael?s book called WHISPERS OF HIS POWER.

For information on any of those items, you can click into our web site at gatewaytojoy.org. Or you can write to us at Gateway to Joy, Box 82500, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68501. Today?s program has been a production of Back to the Bible.

Monday Elisabeth begins a brand-new series that you?re not going to want to miss, so make sure you join us then for another Gateway to Joy.