“God Only Helps in the Present”
“For he says,
‘In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.’
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
In my journal this morning, I wrote the following:
“I am not happy with myself right now. Eating too much (and the wrong stuff), playing a lot of computer chess, not pulling my weight around the house and yard. In short, I am not being the kind of man I want to be.
Help, LORD! I can’t do this on my own! Apparently, I’m not very good at it, even with your help!”
And I felt that God was responding to me, in a very kind and tender tone of voice, as follows:
“Child, I am with you every moment, and ready to help you with whatever you need. The problem is that you are usually not here with me in the Holy Present. You are either in the past or in the future. Even I, God though I am, cannot help you in the past or the future—only in the here and the now.
So, whether you are getting ready to field or hit the ball at softball, eat a meal, work on your article for the new periodical, talk with your wife, play a game of chess, or put together your bagger for the mower, stay with me in the present moment. It is only there that I can help.”
Thanks, God. I will be present. (Did you mean it when you said that you would help me put together the bagger? I’m lousy at putting things together.”)
“Yep!” replied the Almighty. “I meant it. And yes, you are lousy at that sort of thing.”
Staying in the present, where God is, is not an easy thing to do. However, it beats the alternative by a country mile.
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