Welcome back to this week’s blog! This week I’m sharing with you one of my favorite Christian songs – “Keep Me in the Moment” by Jordan Sapp, Matthew Joseph West and Jeremy Camp. The lyrics says it all. But I have captured the lyrics in my own words throughout this blog, as this song has impressed upon me for years. But in case you are not familiar with this song, I’ve provided the YouTube link for your listening and sing along, as it will move you, as it always moves me. This song truly brings me back to the moment, but not of course without the outstretched arms of the Lord drawing me closer to Him. I’m pretty sure He’s got everything to do with how this song moves any of us, how it hums to us when we cannot feel Him or when He wants to grasp a hold of us.
As we grow older, we start to notice how our lives are passing us by. It feels like as we age, time is moving faster. How can this be? Shouldn’t time slow down as we age? Think back when we were young, and full of energy, we paid no attention to time. Time was just something we recognized by the clocks in our home or in a classroom or time square. We never thought of it as our existence in a certain time and space. And for me, it also seemed back then we had enough energy to run on very little sleep. When we were young, we were moving at such high speeds “TO and FRO,” we didn’t realize it then, but we were missing so many things right in front of us that should have been the most important to us, family.
This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. – John 15:12-17 (ESV).
And then as we began to age, we started to slow down, still living in the same 24 hours a day as we did when we were young and vibrant. So where did the same 24 hours go? What changed? Time is going by faster and because of this we start to notice what we are missing. We watch our children grow up and become adults, another version of ourselves in hopes that we trained them well. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. – Provers 22:6 (ESV).
My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not your mother's teaching. – Proverbs 6:20 (ESV).
We then embrace the new little babies that come into our lives as the next second generation of ourselves. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. – Colossinas 3:20 (ESV).
Then we begin to notice friendships come and go as we transition into the next phase of our lives. Then when we start to notice all of these changes in our lives, we feel like we just want to go back and do it over again to capture what we once missed because we were too busy chasing the other things in this life.
Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. – Exodus 20:12 (ESV).
I’ve been thinking a lot about how God is changing things for me. How He is bringing me to a phase end, from chasing frivolous, worldly possessions that mean nothing in the eyes of the Lord. Today He’s leading down a new path. A pathway that’s bringing me to what’s most important in this life according to the Lord. My Lord is teaching me keep my eyes wide open, so I don’t miss what He has in store for my life? Jesus’ plan is unfolding in so many ways. He is showing me new ways to “Keep Me in the Moment.” His gift for me is the present. My heart’s prayer when I wake each morning is for Him to “Keep Me in the Moment.” Lord, stop me when I stray.
Keep my eyes looking up and focused on you, and only you Lord. Everything else you have in store for my life has already worked itself out. Search my heart Lord, and remove any selfish, prideful thoughts. Help me to stay where you are Lord, in the present, in the moment. I know your audible voice is reminding me to stay in the moment, to stay in the present, because it is all I have, and it is all that I need. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. – Matthew 6:34 (ESV).
Tomorrow is not promised, yesterday is gone, and we can’t get it back; therefore, what’s left is to focus on the present where we can find you Lord. You have taught me Lord that you are not in my past, you are not in my future, but you are right here next to me in this present day. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. – Psalm 118:24 (ESV).
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. – Psalm 23:1 (ESV).
Lord, I think a lot about heaven, and the promises you hold for those of us you will soon call home to live in eternity with you. This life is tough. I’ve lived a hard life so far, but as I draw closer to you Lord, I find it much easier to cope knowing you love me deeper and wider than the north is from the south, or the west is from the east. That’s an unfathomable amount of love Lord. I want nothing more than you first in my life as I get closer and closer to the day, the day I return home to live with you forever. My eyes are on you Lord. I haven’t much time left or so it seems, but I pray you continue to show me what matters most so I don’t miss out on what you have for me for I can do nothing without you. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5 (ESV).
Jesus, you will always be first in my life. Thank you for the fresh new awakening. Thank you for showing me this new season, a season of what matters most; my husband, my children, my grandchildren, family as a whole. This is what I should be chasing in this world. It’s funny, because when God fills me with ideas for my blog each week, it’s always a spontaneous moment, another in the moment experience. I never know how my blog is going to start out or how it is going to close. But I feel today’s blog is like there are pieces of this blog that became my letter, my prayer to God.
I feel my heart spoke truth to not only my readers, but to the Lord as well. The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. – John 14:10 (NIV).
Once again, the Lord has equipped me and filled me with the Holy Spirit, so that I can share my heart’s truth, and impress upon others the gratitude I have knowing I am so blessed to have a God that loves me beyond measure.
I know this to be true more and more not only by His promises, but as time goes on, and I enter into a new season, He’s changing me. He’s saving me from who I thought I was to be. He continues to unveil to me the beautiful blessings I have not yet seen, and to think all of this is coming from the hands of my Savior. Thank you, Jesus, for loving me, blessing me, and keeping me in the moment.
Blessings until next week,
Debra Pauli
Unstoppable Believer
Keep Me in the Moment by Jordan Sapp, Matthew Joseph West and Jeremy Camp - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFuvAXzBt1E
Scripture Quotes: Holy Bible – New International Version (NIV), New King James (NKJ) and English Standard Version (ESV)
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