First off I need to give credit where credit is due. The title for this devotional was passed to me by my very wise sister. It was divinely timed because when she sent me the email, I was struggling with the exact opposite. I was fretting about tomorrow, about the following week, about the whole next month. Have you ever done this? Have you ever found yourself unable to focus on the present moment even when as believers in Jesus we’re taught, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.†Matthew 6:34 NIV
Admittedly this is easier said than done, especially when our thinking takes us in directions that cause worry, anxiety and occasionally outright panic. Stewing about issues outside of our present moment can lead us away from trusting God and in the fact that he always has our best interests in mind. In my moment of distress, among many it seems, my sister offered me this; she said, Sometimes when I’m feeling down I ask myself, “what do I need right now?” or “what can I do for ME to make me feel better?” Perhaps for you it’s a good cup of tea or coffee, a brisk walk or browsing through scripture and finding a verse that brings comfort and helps settle your mind. Maybe it’s a prayer that helps re-direct your thinking.
During the time preceding my mother going to be with the Lord, she struggled daily with her thinking. It was difficult for her to stay in the present moment because of the pain and suffering she endured. Despite this, she offered my sister a coping strategy that I believe has merit for daily living and the tendency we have to fret beyond the present moment. She would break the day up into three parts and concentrate on getting through the morning and thinking of nothing else. Then she’d focus on the afternoon and finally the evening. This helped her live in the moment and not to fear beyond that.
And with that idea, latch yourself to a piece of scripture that provides you with the strength to ‘do today, to stay in the present moment’ as you trust God to take care of those little and often troubling details in your life. Here are a few of mine, “Praise the Lord; praise God our Saviour! For each day he carries us in his arms.†Psalm 68:19 NLT, or this; “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!†Isaiah 26:3 NLT
If you’re worrying beyond today, focus on Jesus and give Him the moment you’re in right now. Allow his love to surround your heart and mind as you do something just for you. Living in the here and now of our lives is no easy feat, but as we lean on God’s promises, we can know with assurance that our heavenly Father will see us through today and provide the strength we need when the sun rises again tomorrow.
Paul Smyth