“The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’” (Exodus 33: 14)
“Today is a gift, it’s the present.”
As I tie the red and green ribbons I linger over the words, “Today is a gift”… and I wonder, “How often, especially at this time of year, do I forget the “today” of my life?
With change happening all around, and more promised on the brink of a new year, it is easy to live in the yesterdays and the tomorrows of our lives. We can completely miss the gift of today as we hurry on to accomplish our never ending “to do” list.
Sometimes the regrets of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow become subtle thieves that rob us of our present! Sometimes the increasing busyness that has invaded most of our lives leaves us breathless and forever anticipating. Do you catch yourself thinking, “when this is past… then I’ll take some time to _____.”
I fold the pretty paper around another gift. “The precious present”. Yes today is all I have.
I fold the pretty paper around another gift. “The precious present”. Yes today is all I have.
Today is all any of us ever have. I sometimes forget the preciousness of today. I sometimes forget the gift is today.
As I place the newly wrapped gifts under the tree, I determine afresh to live in the precious present, to see today as a gift and not to hurry it on to yet another event scheduled in my day timer. I will hug those I love more. I will encourage more. I will choose to slow my pace here and there more… and linger in my today. I will choose to listen better… with eye contact.
I survey the gifts under the tree. I hadn’t expected such refreshment in the task. I choose to sit for a moment and thank God for the today of my life, imperfect as it may be. I ask Him to help me remember that the present moment is truly a gift. With His help I will live more fully in today… and look for Him in it.
Father God, I thank you that today is Your gift to me. Help me to deeply appreciate the gift of “today” and to rejoice that You walk with me in it! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen
Question: What do you do when you get anxious about the future? Do you have a favorite verse for those times?
Do you need to spend some time in God’s presence? Take this quick lesson on how to listen for God.
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Learning To Listen To God
“Are you listening?” a mother asks her child. She knows the child’s hearing is fine, but wonders if her child is attending to what is being said. Is the child really listening? Appearances don’t always tell the story, for we learn early to look attentive when our thoughts are far away.
“Are you listening?” our Heavenly Father may ask.
We know that we must try to listen for God’s voice in our lives. We know that God is perfectly good and just, and so hearing God’s will for our lives will be immeasurably beneficial. In order to hear from God, we must (1) make ourselves available to God with the proper attitude, and (2) learn discernment; that is, the ability to tell whether we have really heard from God or not.
(1) Availability and Attitude
There are many things that can distract us from spending time with God. Even at times when we try to make ourselves available for God, our minds may wander to other subjects. Making quiet time, free from as many distractions as possible, is difficult but important. The proper attitude is also important. Attitudes such as humility and courage are important. We have to humbly recognize that we don’t have all the right answers, and prepare our hearts so we have courage to do what is right, no matter how our fears or selfish ambitions may try to persuade us otherwise.
(2) Discernment
Someone who knows what God is like knows His voice. Therefore, we must make time to improve our knowledge and relationship with God, through study of scripture, quiet prayer, and fellowship (learning from fellow Christians). Emotions are a part of discernment, but making a choice because you “feel” it is right is only one piece of the equation. We shouldn’t discount entirely how we feel, but at the same time we must be careful to separate what is God’s will for us and from our own desires. The first test is that God’s voice will never contradict His word, the Bible. That is one reason why study of scripture is so important. Quiet, dedicated prayer time is also important in order to try to block out distractions of everyday life.
Take this study to learn more about listening to God!
One caution before we continue: Sometimes Christians will use phrases like “God told me …” haphazardly. Every second word out of their mouths seems to be personal, direct revelations of what God has supposedly told them. I don’t doubt for a minute that God speaks to us. But just be careful. Before you say “God told me …” you’d better be sure, because if you’re claiming God said something when He didn’t, you are speaking untruth about Him, in other words, you are blaspheming against Him. This understores the importance of thinking carefully about the important topic of listening for and discerning God’s voice.
Join us every week day for Daily Devotional Chat in women’s chatroom at 10:30am Eastern
Gail Rodgers
Gail Rodgers enjoys writing and applying the truths of the Bible to everyday living. She and her husband live in Alberta, Canada and enjoy working together, traveling and spending time with their grown family.
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