What About Right Now?

Chris giving us "the look"

 "In the Sweet By and By" can be found in almost any old hymnal—and maybe new ones, too, I don't know! It's wonderful to have a blissful afterlife to look forward to, isn't it? I'm not making light of it at all. I cannot wait to spend eternity with my Lord! But there are some days when I think I need a little more of Him in my right now. 

Galatians 1:3 and 4 says, Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen

What would deliver us from this present age even mean? The NLT adds, just like God planned. From our right now, heaven is a wonderful escape and we all look forward to it! But God planned to rescue our souls from our right now. He planned for us to have peace and grace (verse 3) in our nows.

In John 14:1-4, Jesus explained to His disciples that He was "going to prepare us a place".. I assume this is "heaven"? A place where we could always be with Him. I love that He said, if it wasn't so I would tell you - indicating that this may have something to do with a common teaching or belief for their day? IDK!

But in verse 4, Jesus tells the disciples, You know where I am going. Thomas is honest. He just goes ahead and says what they were thinking... we have no clue what You are even talking about. (Lol - my loose translation.)

You know what, though, Jesus didn't berate Thomas or put him down. He didn't roll His eyes or throw up His hands, either.He simply said, I am the way, the truth, the life.. He is the way to the Father - the way back to God. That counts for now and in the future, right? The Father who planned the path of Christ, planned for us to be in Him, with Him...even in our now.

Today, I will remind myself that God is not afraid of my nasty now and now, even though He is preparing me a sweet by and by. He's not sitting on His throne, tapping His toe and looking at His watch. He chooses to walk with us through time, no matter what that brings. We have grace for our nows. We have peace for our nows. He is walking our weary souls right through our nows and delivering us from fears, doubts, and sundry other things that make us weary. He's not saving grace and peace for the hereafter - He is dispensing it continuously into our right nows! I think I will ask for a bit more for today, as I trust Him for one more day. Will you join me?


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Cover of the devotional 31 Days in Psalm 31

BOOK OF THE WEEK: 31 Days in Psalm 31 What was David thinking about during some of his hardest trials? 31 Days in Psalm 31 is a devotional that spends 31 days with God in the cave. 

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