5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5)
3 The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You. (Isaiah 26:3)
34 So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (I Corinthians 10:13)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. (I Peter 5:6-7)
At the heart of this article are the words: “Living In The Moment.” The author defines this statement as: “God…who suddenly makes Himself real in a moment…despite what conditions consume our thoughts — whether it concerns our past, or our uncertain future.” Nothing else matters at that time but the MOMENT when we are experiencing the “realness” of God!
Many of us have experienced times when God has been so real. These are brief moments when we are impressed through revelation, meditation, prayer, or some other means when the Spirit of God overwhelms our spirit. During these times God has helped us to regain confidence and renew our faith in Him. We need moments with God — times to reflect on what He has done for us in the past and to be assured of a successful future in Him.
In Genesis 32, Jacob experienced “a moment” with God that forever changed his life. But…before his life-changing experience, he had lived many years as a deceiver and con. It’s hard to understand how, even as an infant at birth, Jacob seemed to want to position himself for mastery (Gen. 25:22) over his twin brother Esau:
Gen. 25:24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, [there were] twins in her womb. 25 And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac [was] threescore years old when she bare them.
Jacob was named after this experience. His name means “holder of the heel” or “supplanter.” Supplanter means “one who wrongfully or illegally seizes and holds the place of another.”
Then…there is the account were Jacob and Esau were young men in the field. Jacob, with his cunning ways, tricked Esau out of his birthright:
29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he [was] faint: 30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I [am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised [his] birthright.
There are other biblical accounts when Jacob tricked his uncle Laban, even though God was orchestrating these events to Jacob’s advantage.
Prior to his experience with his uncle Laban, Jacob (with his mother’s help) tricked his father, Isaac (Gen. 27). They fooled the old and dim-sighted father into thinking Jacob was Esau, thereby stealing the blessing Isaac would have given to Esau:
21 And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou [be] my very son Esau or not. 22 And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice [is] Jacob’s voice, but the hands [are] the hands of Esau. 23 And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau’s hands: so he blessed him.
This experience made Esau furious and he sought to kill Jacob. Jacob’s past had finally caught up with him, so he escaped and ran for his life some 400 miles away, residing with his uncle Laban. He lived with Laban over 14 years, until Laban also sought to do him harm. Even though God told Jacob to return to his homeland, he felt Esau would certainly be waiting to take his life. Nevertheless, Jacob took all his belongings and fled from Laban to returned to meet his fate. Jacob was now on the run with no established past and his future seemed uncertain. Somewhere between where he had left and where he was going, he met “a man”. This man was shrouded in mystery, but it’s safe to say from the scriptures, the “man” had power with God! Maybe he was an angel, veiled in the form of a man. Or…maybe…this was a rare occasion when God was in the person of Jesus Christ! Without any further speculation — the real thrust of this article is JACOB EXPERIENCED THE PRESENCE OF GOD SUDDENLY, or IN A MOMENT. He knew this experience would change his life forever! Similar to Jacob’s experience…there are times we have to live in the moment: without regret for our past and no regard for an uncertain future. THIS IS THAT MOMENT WHEN YOU SENSE THE REALNESS OF GOD’S PRESENCE.This is the moment, despite conditions, God thunders in our spirit that everything will be alright! With this assurance, we get up from where we are to go forward in faith to meet a destiny led by God. And if God is for you, no one has the power to stand against you? Also…times will change our circumstances and conditions, but God will always be waiting for us to find His comforting presence and assurance when we truly reach Him “in the moment!”
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart. (Ps. 37:4)
The heart — being the depths of our mind and thoughts — can be a unique and personally emotional place. The bible tells us that the heart has its issues and who really knows it (Jer. 17:9). Proverbs 14:10 reads: “The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares in its joy.” Many of us have attempted to share our past experiences with others. We sensed they were not fully able to grasp our account of the moment we were trying to convey. No one can really share in the feelings of another’s deep and personal experiences. The word vicarious is no doubt a word that comes close to experiencing what others have experienced, but very few know the seat and aspirations of the hearts of others. It is true that some have the skill to probe human hearts, but only do so — not really knowing exactly what will surface (Prov. 20:5; I Cor. 14:24-25).
Only God fully knows the heart — this personal and secluded place! He knows what we long for and what really is our heart’s desire! What each person longs for is just as unique as who we are and as complicated as our hearts. God has the option and ability to answer the desire (or longings) of the heart. He has given us two clear methods of receiving from Him. One method we are familiar with and that is simply asking Him. He will give good gifts to those who ask Him (Matt. 7:11). The second method seems not as well travelled. That method is to DELIGHT one’s self in what God has an interest in. If we delight ourselves in Him, we can see our families begin to come together. If we give time for personal and systematic Bible study, He will turn His favor toward us and begin to work on our behalf. If we make time for Him, He will bless our endeavors. If we will give to the community and volunteer (as unto the Lord – Col. 3:23), we will look around and realize God has answered our prayers and given us the desires of our hearts! Mountains will be moved, relationships will be mended, business matters will materialize, and we will rejoice that God has done all things well!
God’s watching to see what you and I will do. What we take an interest in will determine the outcome of the blessings from God! Will you accept the challenge to delight yourself in the Lord so that He may give you the desires of your heart? Do it and watch God move!
Author Patrice Smith has written a timely Sunday school lesson, entitled: “The Value of a Soul.” She delves into answering many questions including, “what is a soul worth?” and “why are all souls valuable to God?” Patrice has shed light on this rarely talked about and informative matter. You may want to take a Sunday and break from your traditional classes to teach on this eye-opening subject! Try holding classes during the week or on one Bible class night (with your pastor’s permission, of course) if Sundays are not convenient.
HERE IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE LESSON:
It is society’s practice to judge people based on externals (i.e., looks, wealth, titles, education, profession, zip codes, etc.) It is probably safe to say we have all judged someone based on externalities or what society deems as important. Or…we may have been the one who was ignored or overlooked because we did not measure up to someone’s standards. Every day, people are mistreated, ignored, and made fun of because they look a certain way or lack resources to obtain a so-called “good” lifestyle. We forget that behind every face (whether considered attractive or not), behind every body-type, behind every wealthy businessman or woman and behind every homeless person begging for money on the street corner — there is an invaluable soul. To overlook people or make them feel unwanted based on looks or societal status is, from God’s perspective, wicked and contrary to biblical principles. For the bible states that God is no respecter of persons, He rains on the just and the unjust. John 3:16 points out this very fact, that “God so loved…He gave His only begotten Son.”
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PCAFI Christian Ed. Aux. (ICEA) Articles 