“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And so all of us, who have had that veil removed, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
I’m sure you’ve done this a million times just as I have. You have a trip coming up so you mentally run through your packing list over and over before you even touch your suitcase. All the right clothes for the climate you’ll soon be inhabiting? Check. Laptop, all the right electronics, adapters, and chargers? Check. If it’s work, all the right paperwork, presentations, and training materials? Check. If it’s a vacation, sunblock, shades, and a good book to enjoy as you relax on the golden sands? Check. And for me, cameras, lenses, filters, batteries, and tripod to capture the moments? Check. Since Margie and I have upcoming back to back trips to Virginia to train missionary exchange students in December and January, I was running through just this mental packing exercise this week. As I did, I wondered about which Bible or combination of Bibles I would take with me. ESV, NIV, NKJV, or RVR? English, Spanish or both? And as I pondered this, I thought about what it means to pack up God to go on a trip. After all, He does travel well if we bring Him along.
If there’s one major thing I struggle with, it’s truly living a daily life in full recognition of just exactly who I’m serving. You see, I feel I have a great view of who God was and who God will be but I have a nasty tendency to radically underestimate who He promises to be to me today. Not just who He was to me at the moment of my salvation when He redeemed my soul or who He will be to me as I leave this planet and progress on to heaven to be with Him for eternity…but who He is to me every single day of my life. You see, God is not just the God of the historical Old Testament, doing such great things as parting the Red Sea, making the sun stand still, or using a big fish to reroute His prophet so the people of Nineveh could hear, repent, and be saved. And God is not just the God of the book of Revelation that will come in the future to remove all those that have called on His Son as Savior and judge all those that have rejected Him. You see, a beautiful facet of God is His omnipresence. He was the God of the past and He is the God of the future. But in your daily walk today, don’t forget a beautiful piece of that puzzle…He is also the Almighty miracle-working God of today.
So as I was struggling to find joy in some of my situations this week, I came across a song that spoke this very message directly into my heart. The song is based on Psalm 90 and takes its chorus directly from verse 14. And that verse speaks of how we should see our Savior…not in past tense or future tense, but in present tense.
“Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.” ~ Psalm 90:14-17
As you think about your today that God has created just for you, think about this. Almighty God has given you every single thing you need to be happy, joyous, and free in it. The very direction, guidance, and voice of the Spirit of God to live inside you and reveal the very nature of Jesus Christ to you? Check. The very Words of God that are alive, active, and written down and organized in a beautiful way to instruct you, train you, and fill you with the plan and purpose of God in your life? Check. The miracle of prayer that allows you to converse with your Creator and share the desires and troubles of your heart anywhere anytime? Check. Other brothers and sisters in Christ that will love you, pray for you, encourage you, and even rebuke you when you stray from the flock? Check. The empowerment to handle and deliver the most important message of truth and hope that has ever existed to a world that is dying in its own sin? Check. Friends, God has given us everything we need to stuff into our suitcase of life in order to live a today that sees us not just walk this world in a weary way…but to soar on wings like eagles and shine like the sun.
My prayer for you today is that no matter what trial God has carefully placed before you in this moment, you are packing well for it. For you see, what you pack into your daily routine can bring about the blessed transformation 2 Corinthians 3:18 mentions above. Are you carefully packing a daily time of study and meditation on the Word of God? Are you leaving room to pack in not just one long prayer to the Lord every day, but a thousand small, inviting Him to be in control of the big and small in your life? Are you packing in fellowship time to let other believers speak God’s wisdom into your life and pray for you? And are you allowing the love of Jesus to drive your hands and feet into the service of others, eventually telling them about the redeeming salvation of Jesus Christ?
Folks, today you have everything you need. All you need to do is pack it and then let God transform your life into one that glorifies Him. To quote David Guzik, “The best and most enduring change comes into our life when we are transformed by time spent with the Lord.”
May you enjoy beautiful time with the Lord today as He transforms you and satisfies your soul with His unfailing love. And as you do, enjoy this song, Psalm 90 by Shane and Shane.
Bendiciones ~ Dan
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