07/28/2023
Our goal should be to live in our faith for this particular moment. Looking into the future distracts us from the here and now, and what God has for us to do right this minute. Do we have long term spiritual plans that take up most of our time and prayer? Well, let’s drop our sail and look at what God has surrounded us with at this particular point in time!
“Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.”
Mark 6:45-52 ESV
Sometimes we get discouraged because we are looking for answers to the big picture, and we miss what is happening right now! The Disciples in the story we just read had seen the crowd fed with a few loaves of bread, and yet their hearts were still hardened. Now they see Jesus walking on the water but they are still perplexed and thinking about the loaves... their hearts were being controlled by the past while the miracle was happening right now! Do you ever find yourself absorbed in past events, or maybe looking into the future only to miss what is happening right now?
Today's kids don't do this much, but when I was young we couldn't wait to get home from school, drop our books, choose up sides, and play a game of baseball, football, or basketball. This was an almost daily occurrence. One afternoon I came home from school and went inside to get my baseball, bat, and glove, but while there I became preoccupied with an astronomy book I had been reading the previous day. Man was just venturing into space and the topic fascinated me. Well, before I knew it the sun was setting. I ran outside just as the neighborhood mother's began yelling from their kitchen doors for their kids to come home for supper. I had missed the game. I was so engrossed in rereading what I had read the day before that I missed the here and now.
God wants us to engage with Him right now, the past and the future aren't the point... the miracle is happening at this very moment and He wants us to be a part of it… to be in the moment.
One morning as I wrote the prayer portion of my devotional message, I was overcome by the presence of the Holy Spirit. God was emphatically telling me to stop writing and pray for a Pastor who travels to the Middle East as a missionary. It was 4:30 in the morning as I began to pray fervently for my friend. I prayed for his protection, courage, faith, and success at winning souls to Christ, and the entire time I was praying I felt danger was near. Later in the morning, after I had arrived at work, I sent him an email telling him what had occurred. A couple of hours later he emailed me back and told me he had been awakened at precisely 4:30 with a night vision in which God was telling him not to go to a certain place. He had prayed for four and a half hours, and had just read my email. His first response upon reading it was "Oh My God!" And then he felt the confirmation of God's earlier message.
What would have happened if I had remained absorbed in the devotional I had just written, or had continued thinking about my bible study class last night? What would have happened if my prayers had been directed towards the church prayer list from two days ago, and I had not heard God's call for me to pray for this pastor? However, what did happen was that I heard God's voice as He spoke and answered Him without hesitation... no hardened heart, no distracted mind... just the voice of God saying "Do This Now!" Scripture tells us to stay in the present. Here are a couple of scriptural examples; first regarding the future...
“"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:34 ESV
And now about fretting over yesterday? ...
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV
God wants us ready to do the work He has for us today. His focus isn't on what will come as much as what is happening now. He wants our undivided attention dedicated to His current will. Let's go back to Matthew 6, and read verse 34 again, but this time add verse 33 as well...
“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Matthew 6:33-34 ESV
We are told to live our life of faith in the present! Let God use us today, and His plan will work itself out regarding our future. Once we get past the distraction that this world presents us, and just do the will of God, then we will discover that it never was about what we wanted to do for Him, but rather, it was about what He wanted us to do for Him. This is a not so subtle difference. Can we see it? Our faith should be wrapped in His will for us; He never desires us to wrap His will in ours, but always wants ours to be wrapped in His. Are we prepared to do that today?
Prayer:
Father, we thank you for taking care of our future so that we can do your present will today. We thank you for the distance that you allow us to put between ourselves and the past. Your clear and present desire is for our attention and action to be on the current moment. Even as Jesus said, so should we, "Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done". Help us Father when we slip into the mindset of our own wills in which we feel we can best determine what would please you. Lead us to the realization that you will tell us of your desire when the time is perfect. We needn't concern ourselves with the future, but only with what you would have us do now, in this moment. When we attempt to make plans for our future faithfulness we are assuming your sovereignty, and in this we can find only disappointment. Direct us Lord in this moment, and we will be lifted up by it… as we do what you ask.
“Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”
Psalms 143:8 ESV
Rich Forbes