Present Tense

Are we worshiping God in the past or future? When we read the Bible do we see what He has done, what has been promised and look forward to His return, our eternal life – and overlook the present?
When Moses asked:

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? (Exodus 3:13)

God was not confined to the past nor to the future:

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:14)

Present tense.

Jesus taught this present tense:

But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. (Matthew 22:31-32)

We are just as surprised by that today as His listeners were then:

And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. (Matthew 22:33)

His doctrine remains astonishing – when we think about it. Unfortunately, that’s not been often enough in my life. I’ve looked upon Him as history – what He’d done for others as told to us through the Old Testament into the New. I could give examples of what was done for Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph – and the list went on and on, through the apostle’s letter.

I can tell you how I’ve been blessed by reading John’s Revelation, looking to the future with a triumphant return and gathering of His children. We sing of mansions in heaven, unclouded days and standing to be divided before His throne.

But, what about the present tense. The now of the I AM?

I must admit my life was segmented – the first ten years, pretty much dependent upon my parent’s for church activities, and there were none. For the next twenty years, there was a lot – several times a week as a teen, young adult, young married, young mother. Then, sporadic attendance after a move, followed by another move with even less activity or acknowledgement of His lordship.

Fifteen years ago, though, we found a church where the Bible is preached and there are ministries where everyone can be of service in our Lord’s work.

That’s present tense. When Christians are unceasingly aware of His presence there are opportunities for service and sharing His word. There are fellow believers to discuss, exhort, explain, question, answer, do – all of those things that were written about in the Bible.

The world was looking for the Messiah, and Jesus confirmed who he was to a woman at a well:

The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. (John 4:25-26)

When she knew, she acted and told others. We should, too, in the present.