Past, Present & Future...

Let me first start off with this quote from Oswald Chambers:

"Our present enjoyment of God's grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present."- Oswald Chambers

While you ponder on that... let me elaborate... I have been thinking a lot lately (about way too many things but let us focus on this one for now)... Who is the "god" of your present? Who is the "god" of your future? And who is the "god" of your past? Maybe you like me look back and think "Wow, I wish I could have done things differently... had a different outlook, attitude, etc." The past is the past and there is nothing we can do to change it... What we can do and should do is give our past over to God and let him use it to minister to us now and to others. Do not dwell upon it and make it a "god"... Instead dwell upon your God and the grace He offers you. I am amazed as I reflect upon my life... not so much on me but on what God has done in me and for me and at times even through me... Praise Him!
Why should I be given so much honor and be so blessed as to be a child of God....? Because He loves me, He choose me, He accepted me, He adopted me, He forgave me, He redeemed me and He blessed me in Christ! Amen. (Eph. 1) And because of all of this what should be my response... To give Him all of me! Full access to use my past, my present and my future to His glory! To love Him wholeheartedly and to DESIRE to love and serve Him... But am I? Are you?
Here and now in your present who are you serving? Are you striving to impress others, to glorify yourself...are you focused on the small stuff... worldly things? These things are futile and temporary. Or are you one of the few who has a pure, wholehearted devotion to the LORD and your focus is on Him & Kingdom living? If you are the later... wonderful! Glory be to God! I know you are not perfect (neither am I) but your heart & desires are in the right place. You are giving God your past to use in ministry, your present and your future... And if you are not the later YOU CAN BE!!! And believe me He will come in and do amazing things in you and in your life... Our God is not boring or dull ... oh no, He loves to shake things up... Life with Him is never stagnant or stale... it is fresh & exciting! Sure we have hard times and good times but at ALL times He is with us on this ride and journey...
Giving Him your all, you will never look back and wish you hadn't... you will truly be living! Just hold on tight to the handle bars for this ride... it is one you don't want to get off of and can't wait to tell your friends about... Here is to living IN our present and living FOR the future!