02/25/2026
What is the state of our life right now? Are we satisfied with where we are in our faith at this particular moment? When we look back on our actions of the past, even those of the last few hours, how do they make us feel right now? We often hate the word “NOW” because it requires immediate action. We put off changing our lives, we neglect or marginalize faith, we postpone looking at where and who we are. We say, “I will worship the Lord ________.” How do we choose to complete this sentence within the bounds of our lives? Jesus says NOW is the acceptable answer regarding when we should worship Him, praise Him, honor Him, Glorify Him, and all the other things we can imagine concerning our faith and the Lord our God. Let’s look at this…
“(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 and 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 will determine the outcome of that judgement are occurring in the present, 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 is 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 the Son of God who in His own NOW has chosen to be different, yet He listens to His mother and the revelers and makes a large amount of wine so that the party can continue. Why?
“When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”
John 2;3-5, 11 ESV
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 too late for the guests and the wedding party to abstain in the morning, but how many saw Him in His glory that night, and put their cup down? 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 your 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 sick with a headache, He will not totally abandon you, but will wait in His own place of righteousness, and keep asking you “NOW?” The choice is always 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 marital trust forever. Taking that thing that is not ours NOW will lead to prison. Putting off giving our life to Jesus NOW might rob us of the last opportunity we will have forever. The list is incredibly long, but every one of these things happens in our 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 these questions again... “How am I doing right NOW? When I look at the life of Jesus Christ, how does mine look NOW? When I face my sins, how do I look NOW? When it is morning and my head is pounding from strong drink, how do I look NOW? When God calls me to come and I remain silent... how do I 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 perhaps 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 we are holding 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 my choices, but most of all Merciful Father, thank you for your forgiveness through the blood of your Son Jesus Christ when I approach you in regret and remorse for a wrong choice I have made. 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 your Son Jesus represents. Help 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 so that you might forgive me. Help me to overcome my pride Lord, and to tolerate the voices of those around me that recall all of my past choices and then lord them over me in an attempt to keep me from experiencing righteous change NOW. 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 when I turn away from the wilderness in which I have wandered. Great are you Gracious Father; your grace and mercy know no bounds, and your patience is my friend. Hear the prayers I am offering NOW, so that I might worship you at this very moment, in this NOW, and I can remain present in all these NOWs that are my life and comprise your eternity.
“And now we thank you, our God, and praise your glorious name.”
1 Chronicles 29:13 ESV
“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.”
Colossians 2:6 NLT
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Amen!!
Rich Forbes