I sometimes imagine myself living in Biblical times, actually being with Jesus, seeing Him and hearing Him preach. I imagine the heat, the dust and political times when the disciples were around. In my present tiny periods of trouble I wonder if my Christian walk would be easier if I could hear my Master teach and have His touch. Then I stop myself, God wants me to be living in 2024 not AD 31.
Our prayers should include wishes to do His will and that will of His is for us to be in the here and now. Jesus has work for us now. He wants us to be kind to the woman down the road, or the people we work with and the people He puts in our way.. He needs us to be here in a particular place, listening to a particular sermon, on a particular Sunday. It is no good thinking that living in Christ’s time would have been easier. Neither would life have been easier if I had been born richer, more talented or more beautiful.
Doing His will means means doing His will not mine, walking His way not mine. Instead of wishing my pilgrimage to be different I need to give thanks that I was in a particular place at a certain time, helping and working in a particular way. I can rejoice that He can use me, even me, to do a specific small task for Him.
‘If other hands should hold the key, or if He trusted it to me, I might be sad.’Joseph Parker