Do you have a tendency to despair over lost opportunities that have passed you by, or do you worry about the future and just how things might work out for you? Does doubt and unbelief linger in your mind as you think about all that has happened to you, all that could happen to you and all that might happen to you? Instead of dwelling in the sea of such misery, ask yourself this question: “What is right in front of me now?”  “What do I have in my hand”? In other words, what circumstances and relationships are currently available to you? This question can get your focus off a past regret or a scary future and back to what God can do in your life right now with what you have.

It’s similar to the question God asked Moses at the burning bush. Moses was troubled. Aware of his own weaknesses, he expressed fear about the Lord’s call for him to lead Israel out of bondage. So God simply asked Moses, “What is that in your hand?” (Exodus. 4:2). When God asked Moses this question, the Lord shifted Moses’ attention away from his anxiety about the future and his concern about his past and suggested to him that he notice what was right in front of him—a shepherd’s rod. God showed Moses that He could use this ordinary staff to perform miracles as a sign for unbelieving people. So as Moses’ trust in God grew, so did the magnitude of miracles God was able to  work through His servant.

Do you think about past failures too much? Do you have fearful thoughts about the future? Recall God’s question to Moses: “What is that in your hand?”  Imagine for a moment that God is asking you this question, what would you say back to God? What current circumstances and relationships can God use for your benefit and His glory right now? If you want God to use what is currently in your hand, you’ve got to entrust them—and your life—to Him. Understand that God is a God of movement, and He is constantly moving and constantly changing what is not working and what is not His highest and best for your life. You will get stuck in yesterday if you fail to be willing to walk into your today  that God has given you. So, what’s in your hand? Are you willing to allow God to use what is in your hand now, to create the future that you want tomorrow? If you are, say the simple prayer below;

Father God, forgive me for focusing too much on my past and the would have, could have, should haves that have been a big part of my life. I accept your invitation to place all that I have in your hands including my life as you lead me out of yesterday into the bright new tomorrow that you have for me, in Jesus name I ask and pray. -Amen.

You can’t change the past, but you’ll ruin the present and your future by worrying about what is already over.