The Bible is
full of exhortations to do things "now." The urgency for such a
recommendation--or commandment--is self-evident. "Now" is the only time
you have. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow isn't here yet. And when
tomorrow arrives, it will be "now."
And I like the way "now" is so often used with the word "urge." Of course, in English, that word has two connotations. It can be an inner desire to do something or it can be something that should be done "now"--because it's urgent. Both of these meanings are significant. What God urges us to do should be something we have an inner desire to do--a Spirit led "wanting" to do what would please God. And if God urges us to do something, we should be eager to obey and to obey now. What He wants from us should be our priority. We should want to please Him above all else.
The trouble is we often get bogged down in yesterday and tomorrow. Yesterday's guilt or even yesterday's triumph are of no use to us today, no use to us now. We must let Him cleanse our guilty conscience--aren't you glad He never asks us to do that for ourselves--and we must understand that yesterday's obedience does not mean that we don't have to be obedient today. There's no carry over. In addition, tomorrow's worries and anxieties are strength sapping and contrary to obedience. Think of all the time we've wasted afraid to act because of worries that never came about! Yesterday and tomorrow are deterrents to obedience now. We have to let go of those two days that we can do absolutely nothing about. He can do remarkable things with yesterday's failures and even yesterday's acts of deliberate disobedience. Ask Joseph and his brothers. And He tells us to take no thought for tomorrow. He knows what's coming, and He knows what we will need when it gets here. It's today--"Now"--that we must act.
Yet, that doesn't mean today will be easy. He told us not to worry about tomorrow because today has all the evil we can handle. He never promised us that "now" would be struggle free. But He does urge us to act now. His commandments are not for another day. And no matter how difficult the day will be, only acting "now" can bring the victory. He will be with us today. We will never face an urgent commandment to act that does not come with the provision of His grace, His presence, and His faithfulness. And when we respond to the inner urgings of the Spirit and obey now, we will find another truth abundantly clear: "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
And I like the way "now" is so often used with the word "urge." Of course, in English, that word has two connotations. It can be an inner desire to do something or it can be something that should be done "now"--because it's urgent. Both of these meanings are significant. What God urges us to do should be something we have an inner desire to do--a Spirit led "wanting" to do what would please God. And if God urges us to do something, we should be eager to obey and to obey now. What He wants from us should be our priority. We should want to please Him above all else.
The trouble is we often get bogged down in yesterday and tomorrow. Yesterday's guilt or even yesterday's triumph are of no use to us today, no use to us now. We must let Him cleanse our guilty conscience--aren't you glad He never asks us to do that for ourselves--and we must understand that yesterday's obedience does not mean that we don't have to be obedient today. There's no carry over. In addition, tomorrow's worries and anxieties are strength sapping and contrary to obedience. Think of all the time we've wasted afraid to act because of worries that never came about! Yesterday and tomorrow are deterrents to obedience now. We have to let go of those two days that we can do absolutely nothing about. He can do remarkable things with yesterday's failures and even yesterday's acts of deliberate disobedience. Ask Joseph and his brothers. And He tells us to take no thought for tomorrow. He knows what's coming, and He knows what we will need when it gets here. It's today--"Now"--that we must act.
Yet, that doesn't mean today will be easy. He told us not to worry about tomorrow because today has all the evil we can handle. He never promised us that "now" would be struggle free. But He does urge us to act now. His commandments are not for another day. And no matter how difficult the day will be, only acting "now" can bring the victory. He will be with us today. We will never face an urgent commandment to act that does not come with the provision of His grace, His presence, and His faithfulness. And when we respond to the inner urgings of the Spirit and obey now, we will find another truth abundantly clear: "This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."
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