Today certainly is a present and we are to rejoice and be glad in it, because this is the day the Lord has made! Every day we rise to begin anew is definitely a gift from God.

We've all heard the saying, "There is no time like the present". When you think about this, it's true. Each and every one of us is given this day as a free gift to be used in honoring our Creator in everything we do. We are however, given the choice to use this time any way we want. This special gift is very often times taken for granted but so often leaving us empty, wanting more. What more do you want? Do you want material wealth, power, fame or do want true contentment, peace, happiness and joy?

Many times we will say that someone is, "living in the past, or living in the future". Why is it that we are everywhere but here? I believe that God intended for us to use our memories of the past to benefit our todays. We learn from experience, we learn from the past in order to make our lives better. God instructed us not to stay in the past. For one reason, that's where our sins are. Once we surrender to Christ, we give Him all those past sins, not to mention the present and future ones too. To remember these is not God's intention because Christ paid the price for those sins and when God says He has forgotten them, then we too must go forward and let them go as well.

"As far as the East is from the West, so far has He removed our transgressions from us." Psalm 103:12 (Amplified)

Jesus Himself warns us about not looking to the past anymore because it's not healthy for our life here on earth or the one for eternity.

Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back (to the things behind) is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 10:62 (Amplified)

When Jesus asked the man to follow Him, he replied, "Lord, permit me first to go and bury (await the death) of my father." Jesus replied by telling him to let the dead bury their own dead, but as for this man to go and publish abroad throughout all the regions the kingdom of God". Luke 9:59 (Amplified)

In other words, Jesus is telling us to leave the death of sin and come forward today with Him into Eternal Life and spread the good news to others. Obviously there is no life in sin.

Coming forward doesn't mean that we should run ahead of Him either. We tend to get in a hurry and wish our today away because..."we'll be happy when..."

A life without Christ is not knowing how to be content and happy right now. But this is where our true happiness lies. The reason we will never find happiness if waiting on certain circumstances to happen first is because we are seeking temporal things. The truth is that even when and if we do obtain these material or carnal wishes, we still won't be happy, because by then some other priority will have taken its place. When God is first in our lives, we then find happiness in any situation.

"Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of it's own. Sufficient for each day is it's own trouble." Matthew 6:34 (Amplified)

Christ knew the secret to happiness and He told us not to worry about anything that was not in our control. Face it, there is not much that we can control, so why worry? He knew this would create anxiety and fears, and this is not what God intends for His children. Fear and doubt is a trap that the enemy sets up for us to fall into. Fear and doubt takes us out of fellowship with God and that is exactly what Satan wants from all of us.

God wants us to learn from His Words and the examples that are written in it. One example is when the Israelites ran ahead of God falling into traps of idolotry, complaining and doubting that the Lord would actually deliver them. As a result of their disobedience, God turned their wilderness journey into a 40 year trip that should've taken only days to complete. They created all their own trouble by doubting God. This holds true today, when our lack of faith and trust turns into a wilderness journey. God will keep us going around the same old mountain over and over until we are ready to submit to Him. This is how He gets our attention. If the journey seems too long, then we really need to search our relationship with God.

The true fact is that when our carnal desires take presidence over God, we will always be led down the wrong path. One that is wide and tempting and holds many detours and dead ends. This wide path holds all the sins of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Why not make today the first day of the rest of your "eternal" life by submitting to Christ and living righteously for today? Let Him lead you down the straight and narrow path.

Don't allow the enemy to tell you anything differently. Confess Jesus today as your Lord and Savior and admit that you are a sinner and need to be forgiven. If you say this from the heart, you will soon see a big change in your outlook on life. Live for today, live for Jesus!

If you are heading in the wrong direction, remember...God allows U turns!

Vivian Gordon is inspired by the calling of the Holy Spirit to write inspirational arcticles. Also has a calling for teaching the news of the Gospel. A creative person, she makes original one of a kind inspirational gifts for any occasion, called "Blessed Memories"