We often reprint prior devotions that now reflect on the coming lectionary texts. This is a reprint from a devotion originally published on September 21, 2013.
Prayer: God, help us remember that yesterday is history; tomorrow is a mystery; today is a gift from you, that is why it is called the present. Help us to use this gift. Amen. Reading: Psalm 90: 12-17 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: So, what can one do to live in the present? Well one thing is that when you find yourself thinking about the past or the future, stop and remind yourself to live for the moment. You can also start appreciating the small things if you don't already do so. Take time out to smell the flowers, so to speak. You can also remind yourself if you are in a "worrying about the future" mode that we don't have any reason to fear the future. Jesus died and rose from the dead so our sins would be forgiven, and we would be given eternal life. We don't have anything to fear about the future because as chosen children of God, our future is secure. But I think the most effective way to live for the present is to approach life as a child. I once had the realization that children always live for the moment. I was playing with some small children, and I lost all sense of time. I couldn't believe how fast the time passed. I had a blast playing with them and did not worry about what had happened that day or what was happening in the coming days. I later realized that children have no sense of time and very little past to ponder. It is as we get older, days go together, and life gets monotonous. Children also trust their parents. They do what their parents say and need them for support and guidance. If we remember that God is our Father and truly act like God's children, we too will live for the present. If we approach life in a childlike way, every day can be a new adventure given to us by God, our Father. --Chad Hershberger
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