Hope Beyond CircumstancesSample

For Now

Today is another day of your life. It is quick and intense and packed with opportunities, like a fresh blank page where you will jot down new decisions to make and how to face your upcoming challenges.

There is a part of the human spirit that craves what is yet to come, and rightfully so. Our ultimate hope, our full redemption, is a future experience. Wanting to see Christ as He truly is, in all His glory, is a desire too tempting to hold back. We long for that day. We trust in Him and place our hearts in His hands.

But today is not that day. We can wait, imagine, and look forward to what is on the horizon, and we should. But we must also make the most of today.

Today, you and I are already children of God. As we journey, we are learning, growing, progressing, and placing our trust in Him. We are amid the wild adventure of life for a brief spell, temporarily. Our life is an opportunity for faith, the one thing we won't be able to practice in heaven. Each day is a chance to make different choices, choices that align with God’s heart, to savor the life He has blessed us with, and to manage the gifts He has given us, to make the most of the time we have been granted.

A significant part of God’s purpose for those of us awaiting His return is that we can bear witness to the wonders and love He offers to the world. To give others what He has poured into our lives and thus impact this world. To make it a better place filled with His glory through our words and actions, gradually leading us toward greater purity so that those who don't know Him can come to do so through us.

Just like with any thrilling roller coaster, excitement comes with a bit of unease. You can’t have one without the other. The joy of this life is a one-of-a-kind experience. The twists and turns of circumstances, the speed of the track, and the uncertainty of what is around the corner can all be uncomfortable. But we can choose whether discomfort detracts from or adds to our adventure.

Lord, allow me to fully enjoy the life You have given me, to discover Your purpose and Your will each day so I can live it intently and others can see You through my life.