Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – May 8, 2018
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. Jeremiah 31:3
Have you ever struggled with letting go of unanswered questions about something that happened in your past? Have you ever thought that if God would just allow a particular event to happen in your life that you could finally be happy? If so, this story will encourage you.
About ten years ago I went through a rather odd time of transition. Rather than taking off without makeup to run to Wal-Mart, as I’ve always done, I turned into the clone of a seventeen-year-old girl, only with a few more wrinkles and a lot more anti-aging cream.
Also, like a teen, I started spending more time in front of the mirror primping, fixing, smoothing, and shaping and wondered what I would do when I turned totally grey. Unfortunately, I also spent far too much time complaining about my age since I was just around the corner from the big “four-oh!” I imagine those closest to me noticed a new insecurity about my age creeping into my conversation, but they weren’t the only ones taking notice.
God noticed too.
“Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4).
There are times when I know I hear Him speak into my spirit; other times I’m not sure. But one afternoon during this bout of “time of transition” as I like to call it, it was clear God wanted my attention. It was one of those moments when He caught me off guard; I wasn’t expecting His still, small voice. Just as I bowed my head to pray, He beat me to the punch with a rebuke: “I want you to stop complaining about your age. You’re stealing my moments.”
Ouch.
I knew exactly what He meant, but the Holy Spirit went on to provide extra-added interpretation:
“Shana, these are my moments that I’ve given you. When you’re complaining about how old you are, you’re looking back to the past in regret and despairing of the future. If you’re longing for something you used to have, you’re not embracing my now. Therefore, you’re stealing the moments I’ve created—those that I’m working in.”
In the same way my complaints about my age chained me to the past and prevented me from experiencing the joys of the present, not letting go of unanswered questions about the past does the same.
There’s a gentle balance between grieving the past well so that we can move on to greater maturity and hope—and holding onto the past and refusing to move on. Sadly, there have been times when I have done the latter, and it created nothing but heartache and pain.
If we refuse to relinquish our questions about the past and demand answers about things we can’t change, we’ll miss out on the joy of today and hope for the future. Spending life looking through the rearview mirror brings emotional pain. Regretting the past and fearing the future brings torment but trusting God with our unanswered questions brings peace.
“. . . I will never leave you or forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
Prayer
Lord, I praise you that you are at work in every moment of life. Help me to trust you with every moment, even those that are in the past. Amen.Application
Are you stealing God’s moments by complaining or by longing for something that once was? Ask the Lord to help you fully live in the present where He is at work.Related Reading
Isaiah 43:18-19; 1 Peter 5:8; Proverbs 15:13Post/Tweet today
Regretting the past and fearing the future brings torment, but trusting God with our unanswered questions brings peace. #livinginthemoment #WisdomHuntersWorship Resource
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Shana, God has truly given you a powerful anointing. I am consistently amazed by how engaging, wise, and relatable your writing is. I have come across your work many times over the years, and I am always stuck by how God has allowed you to go through so many experiences that parallel my own. Hearing how God helped you navigate through your circumstances provides me with guidance for how to approach my concerns, and encouragement that God will see me through as he has seen you through.
Thank you for allowing God to use you. I pray that God continues to bless you and your family.
You have so blessed me. I needed a word from God and happened ( God doesn’t do happenstance 😃 ) upon your page. I thank God for your writings. I’m safe in God’s arms again.
Dear “J”,
Thank you so much for your kinds words for Shana. I forwarded your encouraging comments to her and I just know she will be blessed by them. You know, J, I agree with you: God has given Shana a powerful anointing and we are all so blessed to be a recipient of His Words spoken through these devotionals. Isn’t it truly amazing when He knows the exact words we need to read at the exact time and He puts those words in front of us? God is so good!! He loves us that much! Too much for us to comprehend.
There were so many great reminders in “Living in the Moment” for all of us. I loved when Shana wrote about the Holy Spirit nudging her with these thoughts: “If you’re longing for something you used to have, you’re not embracing my now. Therefore, you’re stealing the moments I’ve created – those I’m working in.” Gracious, what a wake up call for all of us!
So thankful for His Love. Thankful, too, J, that you are a member of our Wisdom Hunter’s family. We look forward to hearing from you again.
Praising Him for His Ever-Faithfulness,
Gwynne
“I will thank you, LORD, with all of my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”
Psalm 9:1-2
Oh Ventriss, thank you so much for your sweet words for Shana after reading “Living in the Moment”. Please know that I have forwarded these words on to Shana and I just know she will be blessed by them. Ventriss, I am with you when you say “I thank God for your (Shana’s) writings.” I am thankful for them,too.
And I also agree with you about happenstance! I believe that God wanted you to read that devotional the very moment you read it! Don’t you just love when HE puts the words, or the person, or the circumstance in our life at the very moment we need it? HE is so good!
One of the reminders that I took to heart in “Living in the Moment” was when Shana wrote “Spending life looking through the rearview mirror brings emotional pain. Regretting the past and fearing the future brings torment but trusting God with our unanswered questions brings peace.” Gracious, so very true…
Thank you Ventriss, for taking the time to reach out to us. We are so grateful for you and look forward to hearing from you again.
Believing and trusting~
Gwynne
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18