Many people today want to go back to the way they used to do things. The “Good Old Days” seem to have a great appeal. Old fashions are coming back on the scene.
Chrysler is producing the PT Cruiser, which is patterned after cars that were popular prior to World War II. Tom Brokaw wrote a book that is very popular, “The Greatest Generation,” re-telling events during the World War II era.
Railroad fans follow old restored steam locomotives. Betty and I were among 300 rail-fan passengers to ride all day, 125 mile round trip, behind a 1943 steam engine. Literally thousands came to see the train go by wherever they were. They were at highway crossings, in fields, on top of buildings, using any means they could to get a better view, take photographs, sound recordings and videos.
To some of these fans, it brings back happy memories of their youth. Others of all ages want to live or relive the “good old days.” Others want their children to see a part of what was at one time a very large part of history. All of this is fine and fun. If we were really honest, we would admit that sometimes the good old days were not so wonderful.
God’s “good old days” are the “good NOW days.” Our lives are oriented to time. How much time does it take to get to Grandma’s house in another city? How can I improve on that time? How old is she? How long will our old car last? How many months until the car payments are paid up? It is difficult for us to understand that with God there is no time. In God’s heart it is always now. God always was. Who can figure that out? God will always be. He has promised that we will spend eternity together. All the benefits and privileges of being born again and heirs of God are ours now. It doesn’t make any difference what we were or did yesterday.
When and if tomorrow gets here it will be “now” all over again and what we did today won’t make any difference to God. It’s now that counts. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God…” (I John 3:2). The Bible says that we now, at this moment have no condemnation if we are born again of God’s Spirit. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1). The world may condemn us, but God does not.
We are told to plan for the future. Even little children are taught to think about what they want to be when they grow up. Start saving for college, they say. We are told we need health and medical insurance. Sometime in the future we may get sick or have an accident. God says we are healed. That’s present tense. That is now. Now we are healed. I Peter 2:24 states it in the past tense because it was accomplished in the past to be made available to us now. “… by whose (Jesus’) stripes ye were healed.” We are bombarded with commercials that tell us to plan for our retirement by getting into IRAs and 401Ks and life insurance (which is really “death” insurance). God has a better way, if we can just believe it.
Whenever “now” is God has said that He “… shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19). Now is when we can live for God. Now is when we can claim all that He has made available to us. Now is when we claim healing. Now is when we claim answers to prayer. Now is when we walk in the power of God. Now is when we can walk in love. Now is when we can see miracles. Now is when we can claim deliverance from whatever is distracting us from doing God’s Will. Now is when we can pray for others… “…now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (II Corinthians 6:2).
From “Praise and Power” newsletter.
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