Wowzers! It is crazy to me to think that I am 1/3 of the way through the race! I still pinch myself asking if this is real life. Looking back over the past few months I have seen and done so many things. This trip is really a trip of a lifetime. It has caused me to grow and be stretched in so many ways. There have been so many valuable life lessons that have been added to my life but, the one that seems to be the most constant is being present.
I find it easy to focus on what is coming next. The next day, next location, next country, next week, next month, next year and so on. Since, I am not God and don’t actually know what is coming next all I can do is daydream and fill my thoughts with “what if’s.” It is easy to find myself anxious, worried, or excited over those “what if’s” that I completely made up. And that goes against scripture:
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow
will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
– Matthew 6:34
By worrying about tomorrow I step out of the present. Jesus has already won the battle so we know the future is also in His hands. Jesus was in the past, all you have to do is take a look at your life and see what He has done. Jesus thrives in the present. There is a reason why the Bible says things like, “today, if you hear his voice” (Hebrews 3:7) and “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Jesus so desires a relationship with us that if we choose him, he is with us. In every moment. In every situation. In every decision. He is there.
Now let’s talk about the word: present
1. Pres·ent-
– In a particular place
– Existing or occurring now
– The period of time now occurring
2. Pre·sent-
– Give
– Show or offer
– Introduce or announce
– Exhibit
Guys, Jesus is so cool. Are you ready for this?
In our ability to stay pres·ent we can better pre·sent ourselves. When we are pres·ent we pre·sent ourselves to the Father to be used in the now. We are able to stand with open hands ready to do what the Father has planned for us in the moment. We are able to see those around us more clearly and meet them where they are. Better yet we can meet them where God wants us to meet them. It no longer becomes our ideas or burden but simply the will of the Father. If we are constantly looking to things in the future we can easily miss the pres·ent work of God.
Being pres·ent is one of the many characteristics of God. Even with Moses, God required him to pre·sent himself meaning he would be pres·ent:
“Be ready in the morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai.
Present yourself to me there on top of the mountain.”
– Exodus 34:2
So many times throughout the Old Testament when they were making sacrifices they had to pre·sent their first fruits. Being present can be a sacrifice. An example of this would be putting your phone away when surrounded by others. It is so easy to be pulled from the pres·ent especially though social media.
“Declare what is to be, present it— let them take council together.
Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past?
Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me,
a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.”
– Isaiah 45:21
Check out what Paul has to say in Romans about God presenting His son for the pres·ent.
“God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin.
Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in
full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the
sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured.
This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history!
God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.“
– Romans 3:25-26
I am not saying that it is wrong to think of the things of the future. The lessons and trials we are presently going through serve a purpose for the future.
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth
comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
– Romans 8:18
This is one of my favorite verses. Not only is it important to seek God daily but to seek his presences in the pres·ent.
“Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.”
– 1 Chronicles 16:11
Finally we can rest assured knowing we are presented to God the Father without blemish.
“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body
through death to present you holy in his sight,
without blemish and free from accusation— “
– Colossians 1:22
I encourage you to stay pres·ent so that way you can better pre·sent God the father and His love for all. Take time throughout your day to check yourself and make sure you are staying present.
