Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

Last year, Brooke and I stepped into a wild new adventure. The birth of our first child has brought a whole new perspective on life, complete with unique challenges and unexpected joys. One of my favorite parts about watching our daughter grow is experiencing all of the developmental milestones. I probably get way more excited than I should when I see her do new things. I’ve noticed, however, in my excitement to help her grow and develop and achieve the next thing that I can miss how special the current thing is.

Slow down. Don’t rush. I have to remind myself of that almost every day.

I think this is an important reminder for all of us no matter what season or situation we are in. Pay attention to where you are and what is in front of you. It’s so easy to get distracted by what is next that we miss what is now.

In Matthew 17 we see Jesus giving Peter, James, and John a glimpse of what is next. As the 4 friends pull away together, Jesus gives the 3 Apostles a picture of eternal glory. What a sight it must have been to see Jesus shine as bright as the sun on top of a mountain! This was undoubtedly an incredible moment for the Apostles, but they could not live there. They had to come down from the mountain, literally and figuratively, because there were still present needs to be met. The future was exciting to see, but the present held plenty of opportunities for the miraculous.

As believers, we look forward to the day when we step into eternal life and see the full glory of Christ. How can we not look forward to a promise of no more pain or sorrow or death, a promise of complete joy and satisfaction and peace? There is nothing greater. But we have to resist the temptation to get so focused on the future that we miss the opportunities of the present – opportunities to show His glory to the world around us.

Reflections:

• What opportunities has God given you today to show His goodness?

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Building Our Faith In God

Author: Scott Strahan

Sometimes Jesus took a break from the crowds to focus on teaching His disciples, His closest followers. He was preparing them for the time after His death and resurrection when they would be the main teachers who would carry His message to the world. That message, the Gospel, is the same message we now have in our Bibles for us to learn about Jesus and His plan for our lives.

At one point, Jesus took three of His disciples up on a mountain with Him when He spent time with God. It was an unusual time when they would all witness a vision of Jesus speaking with prophets who lived long ago, Elijah and Moses. They also heard God speak a blessing over Jesus. As amazing as this vision was to them, it also scared them, but Jesus calmed them and used the vision to further explain the prophets and their role in carrying out God’s plan for us on earth.

At another time, Jesus reminded the disciples of how important faith in God is for His followers. Remember, the disciples had lived with Jesus for a long time; they had witnessed the miracles He performed and how people’s lives had been changed when they put their faith in Jesus. But like us, sometimes they forgot, and sometimes they even doubted that Jesus was who He said. And like Jesus does for us sometimes, He used a significant, miraculous event to remind them that He is EVERYTHING He told them about Himself. In that, they were reminded that they should fully trust Him.

Later, Jesus used a situation to teach His disciples the importance of maintaining relationships with people even when we disagree with them. Rather than argue with them about something that doesn’t matter, it is better to go along with them so we can have opportunities to share Jesus with them later. Of course, there are other times in the Bible when we are reminded to stand strong in situations that are in opposition to what Jesus has taught us.

As we get older, and spend more time with God in prayer, in Bible study, and with other believers, we grow in our relationship with God. Our faith is like a roller coaster, sometimes up and other times down, but Jesus is patient and loving and walks with us as we go through difficult times to renew our faith.

• Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You often spend time teaching us about who You are. Thank you for leaving us your written word, the Bible, to teach and remind us of who You are and how You want us to live and interact with others. We love You and ask You to watch over us and guide us. Amen.