Jana Jackson
For a few weeks before Christmas, AT&T displayed this sculpture on its plaza at Commerce and Akard streets in downtown Dallas. Zoom in on the photo, and you’ll see that “NOW” is composed of laptop computers. This unusual piece of art prompted questions in my mind when I walked my dog past it almost every day. Was it some kind of statement against Christmas? Evidently not, since AT&T also displayed a traditional Christmas tree nearby. Was is a homage to technology, or perhaps the opposite–a denunciation of the way the “now” of
our lives is consumed by it?
After wrestling with these questions, I concluded that, whatever the artist’s intent, the sculpture inspired me to consider how the word “now” could be helpful in the new year. Consequently, I looked in the Bible for verses in which the word “now” is prominent. Here are just a few of them:
- “But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you” (Psalm 39:7).
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“Now will I arise,” says the Lord. “Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up” (Isaiah 33:10).
- “Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary” (Daniel 9:17).
- “Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning” (Joel 2:12).
- ” Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21).
- “Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him” (Romans 6:8).
- “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8)
- “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).
What do these verses say to me about the significance of “now” in my life? Today, now, I place my hope in God, who wants me to exalt him. Now, God hears my prayers. When I stray, He wants me to return to Him, now. Even if, right now, I’m hungry or sad, God will bring me joy. I live with Christ, now. I walk in light. God dwells with me, now.
What about you? If you are a Christ-follower, do you acknowledge that God dwells with you now, or do you think of eternity only as something you’ll begin to experience when you die? Has relentless technology, worry, or simply that fact that you don’t understand this crazy world overwhelmed your trust in God? It’s time to return to Him with all your heart. There is no better time than now.