02/25/2018
What is the state of your life right now? Are you proud of where you are in your faith at this very moment? When you address your actions of the past, even the last few hours, how do they make you feel right now? We hate the word “now” because it requires immediate action. We put off changing our lives, we neglect a marginal faith, we postpone a look at where and who we are. We say, tomorrow I will begin to __________. How do you complete this sentence within the bounds of your life? Jesus says NOW is the accepted time.
“(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,”
2 Corinthians 6:2-4 KJV
Jesus changes lives instantly, forever, and He does so in the NOW of our lives. There are certain things of faith that we know will come in the future, like judgement, but the choices that determine the outcome of that judgement are occurring right NOW!
On the day that Jesus performed His first recorded miracle He was at a wedding. The guests had already consumed all of the available wine and Jesus was asked by his mother to do something, so He turned water into wine. In a party like this there was much revelry and drinking going on, so much so that they had finished off all of the wedding wine. You can imagine the scene... Jesus sees everything from those who are happy and have a little buzz on, to others who are stumbling drunk. Here stands this Son of God who in His own NOW has chosen to be different, and yet He listens to His mother and the revelers, and makes a large amount of wine so that the party can continue. Why?
Jesus doesn’t make our good choices for us. He doesn’t take the wine away, or make it impossible to do any number of things that are not of His teaching, but instead He stands in the midst of our decisions and shows us what the correct one looks like... He invites us to join Him in His NOW. It will be to late for the guests of the wedding party to abstain in the morning, but how many saw Him that night, and put their cup down at that moment? How many decided to follow Him in the NOW of their lives?
It isn’t easy to say NOW is the moment I will change my life, but if you are at that place; if you are at the wedding party and want to put that cup down, He will help you. If, on the other hand, you haven’t reached that moment, and you go on to feast and drink until the morning finds you with a headache, He will not totally abandon you, but wait in His own place of righteousness, and keep asking you “NOW?” The choices are ours to make.
Bad choices in the NOWS of our lives impact the future. Excessive drink NOW destroys our liver, and possibly our relationships, forever. Sleeping with someone other than our spouse NOW will destroy the marital trust forever. Taking that thing that is not ours NOW will lead to prison. Putting off giving our life to Christ NOW might rob us of the last opportunity we will have. The list is incredibly long, but every one of these things happens NOW. Conversely, the right choices can occur in those selfsame moments... we put down the cup, we go home to our spouse, we put the goods back on the shelf, and we say to Jesus... help me NOW in my unbelief.
“Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Mark 9:23-24 KJV
So ask yourself again... how am I doing NOW? When you look at the life of Jesus Christ, how do you look NOW? When you face your sins, how do you look NOW? When it is morning and your head is pounding from the drink, how do you look NOW? When God calls you to come and you remain silent... how do you look NOW?
We each have choices to make right NOW. Some of us will make the right ones and our lives will change for the better, while others will make poor or devastating choices that will have negative consequences far into the future... or for eternity. What will we do when the party is just getting started, and there are six large water pots filled with new wine before us? What will we do with the cup that is in our hand? What will we do when we are faced with the moments of decision in our own NOWS?
“In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:37-38 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for the moments of choice in my life. Thank you for allowing me to choose, and then to be held accountable for those choices, but most of all Merciful Father, thank you for your forgiveness through the blood of your Son Jesus Christ. As I stand before the jars of wine in my life, help me to make the right decisions Father, and strengthen my resolve to follow your Word, and the example that the life and teaching of Jesus represents. Help thou my unbelief Holy Father, and hear my voice as I cry out to you in the instant of my choice. When I stand at a crossroads hear me as I plead “take me with you Lord!”, and call my name. I regret those things that I have done that were not of you, and I humble myself in contrition at your feet NOW that you might forgive me. Help me to overcome my pride Lord, and to tolerate the voice of those around me that recall all of my poor past choices, and lord them over me in an attempt to keep me from righteous change. Remove the cloud from my eyes, clear my vision and let me see the true path before me. Heavenly Father, stand with me as I make my choice, and welcome me home as turn away from the wilderness in which I have wandered. Great are you Gracious Father; your grace and mercy knows no bounds, and your patience has been my friend. Hear my praise offered NOW, that I might worship you this very moment... this NOW.
Rich Forbes