Slow Down, 'Now'
This sure has been coming at me everyday for several days. I should listen very carefully!!
Matthew 25 "If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. 26 Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds. 27 "Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? 28 All this time and money wasted on fashion - do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, 29 but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them. 30 "If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? 31 What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. 32 People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. 33 Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. 34 "Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. __The Message
This entire message...it's time to become a sponge and soak it all in. Oh I understand it. But I want to totally experience it!! This should be so loud and clear. But I am seeing that my entire attention to what God is doing right 'now' is a lot harder than I thought, To stay in the moment 'now' and not the past or worry about the future. It really is a very sacred place to slow down and to 'stop', to listen and experience what God has for me 'now'.
All our lives we have been conditioned to observe with our eyes and to react to circumstances, based on our perception. To plan for the future with extravagant 'grandiose' goals and when the circumstances begin to fall out of 'our plans', when the perfect picture of our lives, which we painted, starts to fade or change colors, we panic.
Can you relate? 2 or 3 dollars left in the bank and the pay check isn't coming for a few more days, the light bill is due. You work from pay check to pay check. Or go to the other side of this, our security is in having abundance (of which is an illusion), which is here today and gone tomorrow, because the security is in something that is transient.
We look to the past, plans are based on past successes or failures. We compare to past experiences, which then controls our present preception.
When the walls look as though they are coming down all around us, it is a good thing. It brings us to our knees. It brings us to a place of coming to Him 'now', seeing Him 'now'. No more comparing to the past, no more worryinig about the future.
On our knees as He is holding us 'in' this sacred place, 'now'.
Video & Song
'Praise You With A Dance' Casting Crowns
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5RjNcOqwpRk&feature=related
I love this song!! Still ringing in my heart from Sunday!!
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