The Present of the Present
Opening Scripture Reading:
“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” —Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
I. Introduction: A Divine Whisper
Beloved, have you ever felt time slip through your fingers like sand through an hourglass? One moment gone, never to return. Another not yet arrived, a mystery wrapped in the fog of tomorrow. Yet one moment — this moment — shines like a pearl in the hands of God.
The poet said,
“Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift — that’s why it’s called the present.”
Let us unwrap this gift together and discover the sacred power hidden in the now.
II. Point One: Yesterday Is History — Don’t Dwell in the Graveyard
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old.” —Isaiah 43:18 (NKJV)
Many of us live in the graveyard of regrets. We visit old failures like tombstones. We resurrect pain with every memory. But God says, “Behold, I will do a new thing!” (Isaiah 43:19). The past may inform you, but it cannot define you.
Illustration:
Imagine carrying a suitcase filled with rocks from every wrong decision you’ve ever made. It slows your step, breaks your back. The Lord invites you to drop it. You weren’t made to carry yesterday — you were made to walk in today’s grace.
III. Point Two: Tomorrow Is a Mystery — Trust the Author of Time
“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” —Proverbs 27:1 (ESV)
“Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” —Matthew 6:34 (NKJV)
Planning has its place. But worry has no throne in the kingdom of God.
We are often paralyzed not by what has happened — but what might. We write scripts for futures that never play out. But Jesus didn’t call us to worry about the wind and waves of tomorrow. He calls us to step out of the boat today.
Riddle for Reflection:
I am always ahead, yet never arrive.
I offer you dreams, yet nothing to hold.
I can’t be tamed or touched or told.
What am I?
(Answer: Tomorrow)
IV. Point Three: Today Is a Gift — Receive It with Holy Hands
“Give us this day our daily bread.” —Matthew 6:11
“Now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation.” —2 Corinthians 6:2
Key Insight:
God doesn’t offer salvation for “someday.” He offers it today. The manna from heaven fell daily. Jesus stopped for Zacchaeus today. The thief on the cross entered paradise that day. All of heaven is deeply invested in this present moment.
Poetic Reminder:
The clock ticks not in circles, but in chances.
This hour, this breath, is heaven’s dance.
Eternity speaks not of later, but now —
“Be still,” it says, “and know Me. Here. How.”
V. Call to Action: Dwell in the Sacred Now
Are you carrying your yesterdays like chains?
Are you peering into the mist of tomorrow, forgetting the sunlight of now?
Then hear the voice of Christ saying: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… for today.” (Matthew 11:28 — 30)
Altar Call / Meditation Moment:
Invite the congregation (or yourself in quiet devotion) to pause. Breathe in the present. Offer a prayer of release for the past, and a prayer of trust for the future. Then simply sit with God. Here. Now.
Closing Benediction:
“May the Lord bless you in this moment,
May He hold your memories with mercy,
May He guard your future with faith,
And may He fill your present with His presence.”
Amen.
Here’s the beginning of your 7-Day Devotional Series, titled:
“The Present of the Present: 7 Days to Living in God’s Now”
Scripture-rich, reflective, and visually inspired
🌅
Day 1: The Weight of Yesterday
Scripture:
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!” —Isaiah 43:18 — 19 (NIV)
Reflection:
Yesterday is like a fading sunset — beautiful, yes, but no longer shining. Too often we chain ourselves to past sins, lost opportunities, or unhealed wounds. But God says He makes all things new, not by erasing the past, but by redeeming it.
Let go of the weight. Today is not a courtroom for yesterday’s mistakes, but a sanctuary of fresh mercy.
Prayer:
Lord, help me not to be imprisoned by yesterday’s regrets. Teach me to learn, forgive, and move forward in Your grace.
Visual Metaphor:
A person walking away from a crumbling wall of calendars, their hands now free, face turned toward light.
🌄
Day 2: The Veil of Tomorrow
Scripture:
“Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” —Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
Reflection:
Tomorrow is a veil only God can lift. We crave control over what we cannot touch. But Jesus invites us to trade fear for faith, trusting that the same God who walked with us yesterday and stands with us today will still be with us tomorrow.
Prayer:
Father, teach me to trust You with what I cannot see. Help me rest in Your plans and not be troubled by unknown tomorrows.
Visual Metaphor:
A foggy path ahead, with God’s hand reaching forward, holding a lantern that lights only the next step.
🌞
Day 3: The Gift of Today
Scripture:
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” —Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
Reflection:
This moment is holy. This hour is handcrafted by the Creator. Even in its imperfection, it is infused with grace. The present is where God speaks, moves, and loves. We miss miracles when we stare too long in either direction — past or future.
Prayer:
God, awaken me to the beauty and blessing of today. Let me be fully present with You and those around me.
Visual Metaphor:
A present wrapped in sunrise-colored ribbon, slowly unwrapping into a blooming flower that glows with divine light.
🕊️
Day 4: His Presence in the Present
Scripture:
“Be still, and know that I am God.” —Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Reflection:
God doesn’t wait for a perfect time to arrive. He is the perfect One who steps into your time. His name is not “I Was” or “I Will Be” but “I AM.” He is present here, now. Practicing His presence in every breath transforms the mundane into sacred.
Prayer:
Lord, remind me that You are with me — right now. I choose to be still and invite Your presence into this moment.
Visual Metaphor:
A person sitting in a chaotic world, eyes closed in peace, surrounded by a glowing circle of divine stillness.
🛐
Day 5: The Grace to Trust
Scripture:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” —Proverbs 3:5 (NIV)
Reflection:
To trust is to surrender what we can’t control. The present becomes a sacred space when we lay down our questions and cling to God’s character. He doesn’t give us all the answers — but He gives Himself.
Prayer:
Jesus, I give You my fear and doubt. I trust not in my plans, but in Your promises. Be the anchor of my now.
Visual Metaphor:
A small boat in a storm, anchored by a golden cord reaching down to an unseen foundation marked “Faith.”
✨
Day 6: The Power of Surrender
Scripture:
“Not my will, but Yours be done.” —Luke 22:42 (NIV)
Reflection:
To live in the present is to surrender it to God. Jesus, in Gethsemane, showed us how. He didn’t pray for an easier future, but for the strength to surrender to the Father’s will. The present becomes powerful when offered like a seed into God’s hand.
Prayer:
Father, I lay down my agenda and pick up Your purpose. Let my present be planted in Your will.
Visual Metaphor:
A hand dropping a seed into the earth, with roots already glowing beneath the soil and a sprout breaking through.
🌠
Day 7: Purpose in the Now
Scripture:
“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” —2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)
Reflection:
You were created for now. Not for someday, not for then. Your gifts, voice, presence — God has placed them here for a reason. The present is your platform for purpose. It doesn’t have to be grand — it only has to be obedient.
Prayer:
God, show me how to live my purpose today. Whether in silence or action, may I walk in obedience to Your call for this moment.
Visual Metaphor:
A candle lighting the path for others in the dark, flame steady and warm, shaped like a heart.
The Gift of the Present: A Philosophical and Scriptural Reflection
“Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift — that’s why it’s called the present.”
— Attributed to Alice Morse Earle
Introduction:
Wrapped in the humble cloth of simplicity, this quote unveils profound wisdom, echoing through time like a parable whispered by the ancients. It is not merely a poetic phrase but a call to consciousness, an invitation to awaken. What is time but the great tapestry on which the divine weaves the story of existence? And among its threads — yesterday’s faded hues, tomorrow’s unseen patterns — today glows golden with immediacy. It is the present, both in time and as a divine gift. Through the lens of scripture and reason, we delve into this mystery: Why is the present so precious?
- Yesterday is History: The Weight of Memory
- “Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past.”
- — Isaiah 43:18 (NASB)
- The past is an archive, a library of echoes. It teaches, it scars, it sanctifies. Yet scripture consistently warns against anchoring the soul too firmly to what has been. In the tale of Lot’s wife (Genesis 19:26), her backward glance — rooted in nostalgia and reluctance — turns her into a pillar of salt. What a powerful metaphor: to become inert, lifeless, frozen by one’s fixation on the past.
- Yet, history is not without value. Ecclesiastes 3:15 tells us, “Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.” Thus, we are called not to forget history, but to release it. Like pages turned in a sacred scroll, the past is to be read, learned from, but never rewritten or relived.
2. Tomorrow is a Mystery: The Veil of Unknowing
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
— Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
What lies ahead is obscured by fog, hidden behind the veil of divine secrecy. We make plans, but our tomorrows are not ours to command. James, the brother of Jesus, writes with sharp humility: “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
The future is the canvas of God’s unfolding will. To attempt to seize it is to grasp the wind. Yet humans are dreamers, and we are drawn to the future like ships toward a lighthouse. The lesson is not to ignore the future but to entrust it — to trade anxiety for trust, speculation for surrender. Christ, our Redeemer, walked the earth with a purpose not dictated by worry but grounded in the will of the Father.
3. Today is a Gift: The Sacred Now
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
— Psalm 118:24 (ESV)
Here lies the heart of our meditation. The present moment, often overlooked in our rush to remember or to plan, is the only time truly available to us. It is the thin place where eternity brushes against mortality.
The Hebrew word for “day” (yom) appears over 2,000 times in the Bible. Days are not just units of time; they are divine appointments. Manna, for instance, was given daily to the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4). They could not store it for tomorrow, or it would rot — God provided enough for today. What a lesson in dependence and presence.
Jesus too sanctified the moment. He paused with children, lingered with lepers, wept with the grieving. He did not rush through encounters, but met each one as sacred. When He taught His disciples to pray, He said: “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) — not weekly rations, but daily, reminding us that God meets us now, not merely in plans or memories.
4. Living Presently: The Art of Being
To live in the present is not passivity, but practice — a discipline of trust. Like a bird perching on a branch, unsure whether it will bend or hold, we must sing our song not because we trust the branch, but because we trust the One who gave us wings.
Paul exhorts in 2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” The urgency of the present is spiritual. It is in the “now” that repentance is offered, that grace is tasted, that love is embodied.
The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once said, “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” But the Christian knows even more: life must be lived now, in the light of God’s eternal presence.
Conclusion: A Candle Between Shadows
Imagine a candle lit between two great shadows. Behind it, the dark corridor of yesterday; before it, the veiled mists of tomorrow. But in the flame of now, there is warmth, light, clarity.
The present is not just a gift — it is the gift. It is the altar upon which we offer praise, the vineyard where we labor, the moment in which we encounter Emmanuel — “God with us.” Time may march, but the soul must dwell. And so, with scripture as our guide and spirit as our compass, may we cherish the sacred present, for it is where eternity kisses the earth.
A Final Poetic Reflection:
Yesterday’s leaves, scattered by the breeze,
Tomorrow’s seed lies deep beneath the trees.
But now — ah now — the flower breaks the earth,
A bloom of hope, a whisper of new birth.
This breath, this beat, this sacred heartbeat’s drum —
The present sings, “Behold, I AM has come.”
