A beloved friend asked me to clarify something from my post, “Pray for Concentration, then Work to Concentrate.” I had said, “If you are involved in the past or the future you are never really gazing at Him.” She wrote, “Would you draw this out for me if you have time please? Love you!” I gladly want to do this, because I need to remember this, too. It is a life lesson that I come back to over and over again. Only in the present moment can we experience our place of union and relationship with God.
In The Moment
Life is to be lived in the moment. Truly, this very moment is all I have. My past is gone and my future isn’t promised, and right now is my only point of living. When I am focused on or perhaps obsessed with my past failures or past situations, I’m actually being prideful. Yeah, that shocked me, too. Pride is looking at myself as the source – what I failed to do and how I should have done it better.
Likewise, when I worry and fret about the future, I am focused on how I will do it best and how I can achieve what I want. This too is the wrong focus. The problem with both these scenarios is that my gaze is on me and not the Lord.
When I am looking and gazing at Jesus Christ in my immediate moment, then I am also seeking Him to be my supply. To look at the past or future is to look at my abilities (or inabilities). To gaze upon the Lord moment by moment is living in dependence and reliance.
Jesus Living in the Moment
Christ Himself lived this reality. He lived looking at, not deciding. During His life, Jesus didn’t look at His future death on the cross or the past rejection He received. Christ was in the moment. There was nothing but the current moment when Jesus walked this earth.
Why? Because in our moment we are in the perfect place for union and relationship with the Father.
Have you ever been in a relationship with someone who was constantly looking to the future? It is grievous because they are not present with you. The other might be a person obsessed with the past. This person isn’t actually in relationship with you, they are in the shame of their past or worse, the nostalgia of yesteryear. Again, in neither of these situations are we actually having true relationship. This is how it is with God, too. He wants us to be present in the moment.
So, Tammy, this is why I say, “If you are involved in the past or the future you are never really gazing at Him.” Our gaze has to remain on what God is doing now because that is the point and place of true intimacy and union with Him.
Faith lives NOW… He’s the breath of it, the Joy! He knows how to root out the pride in me…by engaging my heart in the present moment. So thankful! As you’ve said John, it is pride in these places of looking to me as source, & to see it, is a terrible-wonderful breaking, with nowhere to want to look but HIM. Our gaze let’s loose surrender! The Ask & Answer of wait, watch, worship, is…woven into…our entire being, because HE is in our current moment. That’s the adventure. I agree to His truth by my gaze. HE brings & lives… Read more »
John, once again this is perfectly timed Wisdom from God!
Amen! This was quite restorative! Praise the Lord.
I really needed to hear this. Thank you
Talk about heaven sent! When I opened your blog I’d been sitting there staring at some future ‘what if’, trying to solve a problem not even here. How I needed this message. My hearts gaze turned away from me, and toward Him. It’s amazing all that falls away when our gaze is on Jesus. He is Lord of this moment–there my gaze rests on Him. My heart can only take in His view, the knowing HIM, one moment at a time. Oh what He can be to a moment! There is nothing small about a moment’s gaze. Those heaps on… Read more »
Beautifully said! Thank you for celebrating this reality with me. I am so excited! Love you and miss you and Dennis. Hoping we can see each other soon.
John this is exactly where the Spirit of God is opening up this need and understanding in me. I am seeing that this is most likely the key to so many areas of life vs. death. Of whether I am truly spiritually alive and are known by Him or whether I am living by the tree of knowledge of good and evil. I am just discovering, it seems, what is hidden even from myself and who He is in a living relationship. Not that this discovery is completely new but it is definitely a whole new area discovery. Psalm 139:23-24… Read more »
For me too. I am so excited we are here! Thank you for your thoughts and for this amazing scripture. You are a joy always Tina! Love you!
John, once again you have touched on the very real sin in my life, the Me-me-me of yesterday and tomorrow! Yet, you also have a wonderful gift for showing me how to focus on Jesus and not myself. What a blessing you and Martha are to me! Thank you.
What an encouragement you are! Thank you so much for your kind words Penny. Blessing you really big. Thank you for commenting your thoughts and heart!
Been very in tuned with single eye of late…
It is so important Arleen. It is actually life and death. Glad you are on this too. Love you.
this is so reminiscent of the times I have been having a conversation with someone and their eyes are continually looking over my shoulder, around the room …… never fully present …….
such a good reminder John …… thank you
You will definitely like the post that is coming up. I speak about this specifically. Thank you for commenting Andrea. You’re always an encouragement.
I can’t begin to tell you how much this speaks to me. I didn’t even realize how much I needed the clarification. Tears of joy.
Bless you my precious friend.
Thank you so much for asking the question. You were the thing that spurred this whole thing on. So I say, I am so grateful to you. And that you enjoyed it is just that much more of a blessing!