Seeing God in the Present Moments

“The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.” (Josh. 3:17 NIV)

Have you ever watched God bring you through your own personal Red Sea? Watched him part the waters for you? Watched him drown your enemies behind you?

But then, fast-forward, and suddenly you realize you have been in the wilderness for what feels like forty years.

Maybe you spent that time in a way that was just fine by you. Maybe you watched God give you a version of manna and quail. Or maybe you felt lost and lonely. I imagine the Israelites experienced all the feelings when they were in the wilderness on their way to the promised land. Some of them died before they could even see what the promised land looked like or offered them. Some of them came up to the Jordan River, which was flooded due to the season they arrived there, on their way to Jericho with Joshua.

We hear about God parting the Red Sea during the exodus all the time. At least, I have heard that story more than a few times. Now, I am reading The Awesome Book of Bible Facts with my littles for homeschool, and it presents the story of God stopping the water of the flooded Jordan River for the Israelites to cross over to get to Jericho. I missed this “smaller” miracle, which was a lot like the first, until I read this book with my kids.

I wonder how often I do this in my own life. How many times have I held onto the big thing the Lord did for me or gave to me, and then not given a second thought to the way he came through for me the next time? How many times has he provided manna for me in my deserts, and I took it for granted or did not give him the credit?

Life waxes and wanes through different seasons. Sometimes, we can be painstakingly aware of God’s presence. Other times, we may feel like he is far away. No matter what, we must practice seeing his hand in our daily lives if we want to curate a relationship with him that glorifies him. Years ago, I started a gratitude journal as one way of doing this. I need to sit down with it often, if not every day, and write down all the things I see God doing in my life. It amazes me to look back on that list and realize all the things I could have missed if I didn’t give God my attention for the few minutes it takes to write things down. I need to get back in the practice more regularly, because I know what comfort that list has given me. I know how awed I am by seeing God’s faithfulness when I am documenting it.

God is so cool, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in the minutiae of our lives and miss the part he is playing as our Father, advocate, friend, and provider. Even when he parts our waters a second or third time, which is no simple feat, we may miss it because we are focused on what happened in the past. While a journal may help us remember what God has done for us in the past, it can also help us to focus on the present, so we can be continually awed by seeing God in action.

Jesus told his disciples to watch and pray. We need to do the same, to focus on seeing God in the right-now moments of our lives. Do you need to get up early to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to keep you awake to the moments? Are you a night owl who needs to take time to reflect on the moments of your day when it is over? Do you need to stop intentionally throughout the day, and take a deep breath or two to reset and keep your focus on God?

Sometimes it is all these things for me. I know I have to take stock of my focus way more often than I actually do it.

Let’s pay attention. Let’s remember his miracles of the past while also focusing on seeing God in the present. He will knock our socks off.

Lord, thank you for all the ways you come through for us, big and small. Thank you for parting our Red Seas and Jordan Rivers. Help us to see each miracle, appreciate it, and remember it. Help us to see your hand in the details of our lives. You are the great Provider, and sometimes we overlook your provision. Oh Lord, give us eyes to see. Amen

Scripture for Reflection

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left” (Ex. 14:21-22 NIV).

“The Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you and you have not lacked anything” (Deut. 2:7 NIV).

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38 NIV).

Reach for More

Reread the questions in the second to last paragraph. Flesh out your own need to stay open to God in the moment and noticing all the miracles he provides in your daily life. To help you get started, write out a list of ten things that come to mind where you can see God’s hand in your life over the last few days. Thank him for being present, and ask the Holy Spirit to keep you aware of all the small and large miracles.

Carla Clemens enjoys a crazy, beautiful life with her military husband, four sons, and a daughter. A baby interrupts her homeschool days in the best ways, and she is always attempting to live with mindfulness of each moment. She hopes to look at the world and each person in it in light of our amazing Creator, and therefore, to see each moment presented as an opportunity to love and serve him more. Carla relishes time to ponder God’s Word and have quiet moments with him and her coffee. She loves doing life with other mamas and encouraging them to simply be who God has made them to be.

Photograph © Etty Fidele, used with permission