{To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.} Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer. O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah. But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD. There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
(Psalms 4:1-8) KJV
Christmas is over. Once again the anticipation and excitement, planning and preparation, that builds in intensity from Thanksgiving and which bursts upon us in a flurry of excitement is over. The year is winding down
My idea of a daily devotional based around the sequence of creation through to the fulfillment of prophesy is ongoing, and I am looking forward to the New Year and beginning in Genesis with the first day of creation. However, in the mean time there are a few more days left in December. We’ve been discussing what the new heaven and new Earth are going to be like. The thing is, I think I have said all that I know to say. To be truthful, the end of the age is something that I have thought about much less than its beginning.
Now we have an opportunity to pause and reflect. The Christmas season serves as a very structured reminder of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, regardless of whether you’re a Christian or not. We praise and worship the Lord for his providence and grace.
Are we content? Are we satisfied? Are we at peace? When we lie in bed at night what happens? Do we worry and stress? or are we oblivious because of taking either prescription or non-prescription meds so that nothing has any effect on us?
There have been times in my life, including in my Christian life, when I was not content, satisfied or at peace. I vividly remember lying on my bed at night and fuming with anger or twisted with frustration because of people or events that were threatening to overwhelm me. Thankfully I don’t feel that way anymore, and I lie on my bed and marvel sometimes at just how peaceful and content the Lord has made me. It’s true to say that I don’t know what the future holds, and I know that difficult times lie ahead, but I’m totally fine right now. I literally do have everything that I need, right now.
Here’s what I am learning: yes, there will be trouble ahead. Yes, there may be heartbreaking decisions. Yes, we will make choices that will change our lives and the lives of others. Yes, money will be tight. The thing that I have learned is that I don’t have to let the anticipation, or worry, of those future times destroy the peace that I have in this moment. This moment is really all that we have. The past is gone and we can’t do anything about it. Regret is pointless, it just drains our energy and makes us angry. The future is unknowable. Worrying about it is also pointless, because it doesn’t change the fact that we will still have to deal with it anyway. If we can focus on being fully present in this current moment we can be in that perfect peace, the peace that passes all understanding. This may sound like some eastern wisdom out of Buddhism or yoga, but it’s what Jesus was trying to get us to understand.
God has the future, we don’t have to worry about it. Our task is to be prepared to deal with it, whatever it is, when it gets to us. We prepare by being present in the current moment, guarding our hearts and being mindful of how we respond to those around us. We need to be present for the people we are with, our children, parents and partners. We need to be fully aware of their needs and serve them in the moment.
The Naked Prophet 