Friday, Dec 8 | NOW
December 8, 2017 | Dave Gall
Editor's Note
About the author: Dave and his wife Joan have been members at ZPC for more than 30 years! Dave is currently a sitting elder (but just through this year) and also serves on ZPC's Mission Commission.
About this post: This blog post is part of a series of daily devotionals where we are exploring traditional Advent themes of waiting, mystery, redemption, and incarnation. To sign up to receive text notification of these posts, text zpc advent to 39970. Advent booklets are also available at the ZPC Welcome Center. We welcome your comments and questions each day.
Waiting | Psalm 31:13-16
For I hear the whispering of many-terror all around!
as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life.
But I trust in you, O Lord, I say, “You are my God.”
My times are in your hand;
Deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
Let your face shine upon your servant save me in your steadfast love.
As we look at Psalm 31, at first we might be thankful that we don’t live in some parts of the world where there are daily imminent dangers, such as in the Middle East. Certainly when Christ was born it was also a time of great dangers. But today we fortunately do not face the kind of dangers faced in the Middle East. Instead we each are faced with many other dangers and perils–sometimes of our own making.
Dangers like materialism, individualism, comparisons, competition, and selfishness seem to be battling with our very soul. But perhaps an equally large danger is the difficulty to live in the NOW. NOW is the only thing we have. We can only love our family, our community, others–NOW. We can only wait–NOW. It is meaningless to dwell in the past; and to try to live in the future is only a figment of our imagination created by our ego. Live in the NOW, wait in the NOW. We can wait in anticipation, but live for NOW–this moment, this day. We can place that gift under the tree for later, but today hug your spouse, your child, your parent–NOW. Really look into the eyes of another person and see this wonderful creation–NOW.
When I see and hold a new creation, such as a new grandson, I can only marvel at such a creation. When we wait with anticipation the celebration of God’s son, the promise of what will be at that birth is indescribable.
God is with and in each of us NOW. Don’t look past NOW. NOW is the only time we really have.
Trust God NOW–it’s all we have; and that is more than sufficient!
Activity
Take a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the center of the page. On the top of the left column, label it “NOW–acts and thoughts.” On the top of the right column, label it “Future or past acts and thoughts.” During your day keep track of your thoughts and actions and place them in the appropriate column.
Prayer
Thank you God for your steadfast love. Help me to learn to live in the NOW. Help me to understand that you are with me NOW. Help me to see your love in another person’s eyes NOW. Help me to be patient to wait in you.
Amen