Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Morning by Morning, June 19 - Living More Fully into the "Now" of My Salvation
 
Good morning, Lord Jesus. I speak out Your name and listen for Your voice, my Good Shepherd.  ...
 
"As we work together with Him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For He says, 'At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.' See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!" (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
 
Teach me how to live more fully into the "now" of my salvation and inro the "now" of time. Help me "see" and believe and embrace that "now is the acceptable time" and "now is the day of salvation."
 
If I'm focusing too muchon my past -- whether my past failures or my past successes -- I'm not fully living into the "now" of my salvation. If I'm focusing too muchon my future -- whether the fears of what is to come or the anticipation of what I hope to come -- I'm not fully living into the "now" of my salvation. 
 
Of course, there of things of my past that make me who I am and give me a testimony of Your grace in my life, but I'm not to undulydwell on my past. And of course, there are things yet to come where I do need to plan and anticipate and even dream about with expectant faith, but I'm not to undulydwell on my future either. If I do, I'm in danger of missing out on all that You have for me "now" and all that You have for those to be influenced by You through my life "now."
 
Fully living into the "now" of my salvation is fully embracing "today"  -- each day as it comes, one day at a time. As Your Word says, "Exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today' ... 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion" (Hebrews 3:13-15). Just as You sent the manna to Your people in the wilderness, so You send Your Word and Your Spirit and Your opportunities for us to learn to more fully love and more fully live into Your will for us each day. "Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed" (Exodus 16:21).
 
Yes, Your promises are Yes and Amen today and every day forever (2 Corinthians 1:20). And Yes, You provide all that I need by the power of Your grace for me to fully live into all You've ordained for me each day, while it is still called "Today" in the "now" of my salvation. "Today (I) have obtained the Lord's agreement:  to be (my) God; and for (me) to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, and His ordinances, and to obey Him. Today the Lord has obtained (my) agreement:  to be (part of) His treasured people, as He promised (me), and to keep His commandments: for Him to set (me) high above all nations that He has made in praise and in fame and in honor; and for (me) to be (part of) a people holy to the Lord (my) God, as He promised" (Deuteronomy 26:17-19).
 
Lord, I thank You for my past and for my future, for all You've done and all You're going to do. And at the same time, I thank You for the power of Your grace to more fully live into the "now" of my salvation today -- not missing out on anything You have for me by overlydwelling on the my past or my future, but living fully "alive in Christ" each day (1 Corinthians 15:22). In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays




My friend, I pray you live more fully into the "now" of your salvation each day in the power God's grace at work and alive in you, in Jesus' name! Please pray the same for me. God bless you, my friend!

Friends, thank you for joing with me on this daily journey of prayer, "morning by morning" each day. By the leading of the Holy Spirit, I write these fresh from my morning prayer time and then send them out. It feels like the Lord's "manna" from heaven to me and source of His strength from the intimacy of His embrace for my day. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you! And thank you for praying them back for me!
 


Tommy Hays' 365 Day Prayer Devotional
Morning by Morning, 2nd Edition
"A Deeply Intimate Journey with Jesus"

 


Tommy Hays | Messiah Ministries
Healing from the Inside Out
  
Pastoral Director | Rapha God Ministries
4 Dominion Drive, Building 1
San Antonio, Texas 78257

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