Friends For The Journey

7.6.2008

14-18 Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God! Hour by hour I place my days in your hand, safe from the hands out to get me. Warm me, your servant, with a smile; save me because you love me. Don’t embarrass me by not showing up; I’ve given you plenty of notice.

A major issue in depression is the way we relate to time. Many people are consumed with guilt or regret about the past – or are trapped in negative thoughts and behavior patterns from the past. Others are oriented toward the future – postponing their happiness until after some future achievement that never finally arrives – or living in fear or anxiety over future events we cannot even predict, much less control.

God places a great emphasis on the present moment. It really is the only moment of time that really exists. We only have peace, experience God’s presence, or exercise faith right now – in this very moment. 2Corinthians 6:2; says “now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” Heb. 3:5 adds “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”

The Psalmist, speaking to God, expresses his desperation and throws himself on God – hour by hour he places his days in God’s hands.

I remember when we first were told by our doctor that Debbie had stage 4, metastasized cancer – with a maximum life expectancy of 3 to 5 years. For long months I battled constant fearful thoughts about the future, thoughts about Debbie being gone, and me living life alone. I battled moment to moment to bring my thoughts captive, and to choose not to think about the future, but to keep my thoughts in the present moment. Sometimes, I had to push away fearful, future-oriented thoughts every two or three minutes throughout the day. Eventually, I stopped thinking about the possible negative future scenarios and began to focus on enjoying the present moment with Debbie.

Eventually, when we learn to choose peace and God’s presence in the present moment, the moments turn into hours and the hours turn into days. Wonderful days full of fellowship with God and our loved ones, full of faithful obedience to him, and the creation of memories with those we love. The prayer of Moses in Psalm 91 talks about the fleeting nature of life, and included a plea for the wisdom to use time well….

Psalm 90:12 “So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

Both David and Job died as old men and ‘full of days.’ How many days do we lose in negative thinking, anxiety or useless obsessing over the past? Learn to take charge of your thoughts — to live on the razor’s edge of the present moment like a surfer catching the perfect edge of the wave and keeping himself balanced and riding the wave of existing moment of grace.

I like this poem:

“The past is history, the future’s mystery, the present is a gift – that’s why it’s called the present.”