What time is it in your life? Do you trust God with your past, present, and future?
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19
Many of us lose our focus when we are preoccupied with our future, (“our then”), or our past, (“our before”) more than we focus on the present (“our now”). God doesn’t forget about the provision, but we often lose focus, forgetting the tasks He has given us to do. Philippians 4:19-20 says, “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus. Our God and Father abound in the glory that just pours out into eternity.” Therefore, nothing has been changed on God’s part of the promise. God promises care, provision, and even the opening of the prison to them that are bound, healing for the brokenhearted, and freedom without condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. There are many things you have control over, one being your focus.
Are you having doubts about your future?
Whenever we think about our future (“our then”), it’s only our minds having a vision of a life that doesn’t exist yet. We cannot allow our minds to continue to have us worrying about whether or not something will happen for us; I have learned that the only way to tomorrow is to live through today (“our present”). We can no longer worry about “What if we made more money, had a better job, or were more educated.” We are so caught up in the “norm” of this world that we forget about the promises of Abraham and the inheritance we have access to. According to Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to “prosper” you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
How to recognize the thoughts that invoke bad emotions?
Let us rewind to reflect on our pasts (“our before”) for a moment. Whatever happened before, whether it was a tragedy, trauma, etc., it’s now considered our past. In everyone’s life, there are great and small moments when we feel victimized. But, could it be that one memory is the reason you are continuing to live in the past? How can God dwell in a space full of bitterness, unforgiveness, hatred, and thoughts of retaliation in your life? You must let these things go. Otherwise, by keeping these negative feelings alive, a mental prison appears and continues into your present. Therefore, we need to recognize the thoughts that invoke these types of feelings, leaving us fruitless.
With that being said, let’s fast forward to our present (“our now”) moment.
Our present is based on us living in the moment. Therefore, we cannot allow the worries about our pasts or futures to take away precious seconds of our lives. There are so many distractions in this world that tend to pull us back and forth, causing us to lose our focus, turning our attention away from what God wants to do in us and for us. We must be mindful of our thoughts. When continually spending time reminiscing about our past or wondering about the things of our future, we don’t recognize the blessings of our present. Whatever you magnify in your life tends to grow. Too often we focus intently on the problem but forget to magnify God and the things He continues to do in our lives. When we show God gratitude for what He has done in our lives, whether big or small, our faith begins to increase, and blessings begin to flow again. God has given us the key to the doorway to freedom. When the blessings begin to flow, remember to bless someone else, too.
We all have worries from time to time that disturb the present (“our now”), that affects and occupy our attention. However, we need to learn how to trust God in all things, including our past, present, and future. God knows exactly what you need and it’s time to let go all the things that could preoccupy your destiny. You can trust God with all your heart, mind and soul because YOU, who He loves more than you ever thought possible. YOU, who He laid down His life for. YOU, for whom He gave His only begotten Son. YOU, who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. YOU, who He chose to proclaim the excellencies of Him. YOU, who He has called out of darkness into His marvelous light. YOU, who He has chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. YOU, who He chose to be holy and blameless before Him In love. YOU, who are strong enough. YOU, who are beautiful enough. YOU, who are smart enough. YOU, who are just enough for HIM. And He wants YOU to unblock the flow of blessings because YOU ARE His choice!
This is inspiring