Learning To Live In The Present Moment

Exodus 33:14 – My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest. (NIV)

Psalm 90:1 – Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. (NIV)

Some time back, I took up the habit of keeping a spiritual journal or diary. One of my recent journal entries was about living in the present moment. It seems to me that our western culture is so addicted to productivity and events that time has no real value unless we are finishing a project that is considered important, or preparing for the next big event. The time that fits in between those big moments of achievement is most often considered unproductive and unimportant. The business model does not teach us to treasure and appreciate the moments between the big events. The diary allows me to reflect on "where is God in each day?"

The in-between moments give us the opportunity to focus the mind on things eternal. My diary has helped me to use the in-between moments to become aware of God's companionship. Its use helps me to focus on God's presence, and on where I can meet God. I discovered that it was not the lack of time; it was a failure to appreciate each moment in time, and to see God's work in it. To God, one moment is not more important than the next. We must apportion the day to prayer, labour, refreshment, and rest.

Keeping a spiritual journal has enabled me to learn that God is a constant companion, and that every corner of my life can be occupied by the sense of God's presence. If we learn to rest in the Lord daily, we will find that it is in the in-between moments of life when we are invited in new ways to be in the presence of God. A growing friendship with God helps us to move through life with the sense that God is delighting in us and working his power of redemption within us. Learning to live in the present moment helps us to understand and value the process of life.

Prayer: O heavenly Father, creator and author of the universe, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. We pray, O Lord, that your presence will go with us on our daily journey. Teach us, O Lord, to treasure each moment you have given us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

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