Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Balancing anticipation and presence

A few days ago I wrote about Israel's position of waiting on the Lord and living from day to day. As I've continued to mull this over and study that period of history, I have been struck by another facet of life as an Israelite at that time.

It's true that they were to wait every day for the Lord to show them what to do. They couldn't plan ahead and make a projected schedule of events. But, at the same time, the whole purpose of all of the years described in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy was to bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. So while they were waiting each day for the Lord to show them His purpose for them in that day, they were also holding the promise in mind. They took life one day at a time, but each day was only important in how it prepared them for the Promised Land. They were learning to listen, obey, live in fellowship, worship, and relate rightly to God.

Sound familiar? There are things I am waiting and hoping for in this life and beyond it. I hope to one day marry and have a family. Nothing compares to the promise of freedom from sickness, sin, and suffering and the hope of being united with Christ when my time on the earth is through. But right now, God has not given it to me either to be married and have a family or to be with Him. I can dream of those things and hold onto the hope He has given me, but I am called to be where I am, fully present in each day to learn what He has for me. In this, as in so many other things, it all comes down to finding the balance.

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