December 18

Written by Bill Grandi on December 18th, 2019

My title for this devotion is Waiting Present vs Waiting Future.

I don’t know about you but it seems like most of my life is spent waiting. I live in a town that has three traffic lights (I want to call them “stop” lights because that seems to be the name for me) on the main drag. The main drag is a state highway and it is not unusual for me to catch one, two or all three of the lights in one setting. So I sit…waiting.  There is a light outside of town near the church building where I work that is at a “T” intersection of two state highways-46 & 43. 46 is the main one so when I come from the office, St Hwy 43 is a pressure sensitive light. It is also affected by the traffic coming either way on 46. I have been known to sit for 3 minutes waiting for the light to change. And please don’t get me started on the Super _____ that has only a couple of register lines open during the busiest time of the year!!

Waiting is not fun. But there are times waiting is absolutely essential. Waiting on God’s plan to unfold is sometimes unpleasant. Waiting on God’s timing to “play itself out” is frustrating. We wait and wait and wait. And nothing seemingly is happening.

In reality something is happening. It is happening in us. I am either waiting in the present or waiting in the future. What I mean by that is I either see Him with me in the present or I worry about seeing Him in the future. I cannot live in or predict the future. I don’t have a DeLorean. James says not to worry about the future. (James 4:13-15) Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow. Today had enough trouble of its own. (Mt.6:34)

Jim Elliott, the martyred missionary, is credited with saying, “Wherever you are, be all there.” That’s great advice! Live in the present. I can’t change tomorrow because I don’t even know what’s coming. Live today.

Now…that’s not saying I live for today and take no thought for tomorrow. I certainly don’t want to plant bad seeds today that will bear bad or rotten fruit tomorrow. But I don’t have to worry about tomorrow.

“Father, you have promised Your presence past, present and future. Help me to live for You today. Help me to live in the present in Your presence.”

I have been writing at my other blog on #ChristmasChallenge. I’d like to invite you to visit there for a Christmas meditation.  Here is the current post

 

3 Comments so far ↓

  1. Ryan S. says:

    I go through cycles… Sometimes the waiting isn’t bad. Other times, I may walk out without buying anything just because of the lines.

    I like the quote you listed…
    “Wherever you are, be all there” Don’t waste the current opportunity or moment…

    even if it is in a line at a store.

    • Bill Grandi says:

      Yeah, I think a lot of it depends on how I feel and what is on my plate. If my agenda is complicated or full then patience to wait is short.

  2. Great post, Bill.

    A smile came on my heart when I read “Jim Elliot…” He and Elisabeth are the reason my children were all Missionaries. I cannot wait to meet them and thank them!