The Sacrament of the Present Moment (Part III): Trusting God in What We Cannot Control
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Last week, we saw that the Christian life is lived in the present moment—one duty at a time.
Not yesterday.Not tomorrow.But now.
Yet as soon as we begin to live this way, we run into something deeper—and harder.
What about the things we did not choose?
The interruptions.The disappointments.The burdens we would gladly remove if we could.
Jean-Pierre de Caussade now takes us one step further:
Not only must we do the duty of the present moment—we must also receive it.
The Two Sides of the Present Moment
Caussade helps us see that every moment has two parts:
1. What we are called to do2. What we are called to accept
Some things are active:
a task to complete
a word to speak
a person to love
But other things simply come to us:
an illness
a delay
a disappointment
a trial we did not expect
And here is the turning point:
Both come from the hand of God.
“The will of God is manifest in each moment…”
Not just in what we choose—but in what we are given.
The Temptation to Resist
Our natural response is to resist.
We say:
“This is not what I planned.”
“This should not be happening.”
“I will be at peace when this is over.”
But that way of thinking pushes life always into the future.
And so we miss the very place where God is working.
Caussade reminds us:
The present moment is the only place where grace is given.
If we refuse the moment, we refuse the grace within it.
Abandonment to Divine Providence
This is where his great word comes in:
Abandonment.
Not passivity.Not fatalism.But trust.
A quiet, steady yielding of the heart to God.
To say:
“Lord, this is not what I would have chosen—but I receive it from Your hand.”
This is the heart of faith.
Not just believing in God when things go well—but trusting Him when we do not understand.
True holiness is not found in great deeds,but in accepting God’s will moment by moment.
Christ Before Us
We see this most clearly in our Lord Himself.
In Gethsemane:
“Not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42, KJV)
Jesus did not choose the cross.
But He received it from His Father’s hand.
And in that surrender,He accomplished the salvation of the world.
The Freedom of Letting Go
There is a deep freedom here.
When everything depends on us,we are anxious.
But when we begin to see each moment as coming from God:
we are freed from fear of the future
freed from regret over the past
freed to live simply, faithfully, today
“All we need to know is how to recognize God’s will in the present moment.”
That is enough.
A Simple Practice
We do not learn this all at once.
We learn it moment by moment.
Try this:
When something unexpected happens today—pause, and say quietly:
“Lord, I receive this from Your hand. Help me to trust You in it.”
That small prayer can change the whole day.
Looking Ahead
Next week we will go further still.
If each moment comes from God, how do we begin to see His hand more clearly?
How do we discern His will—not in theory, but in the real events of our lives?
Closing Prayer
Lord,
Teach us to trust You in all things—not only in what we choose,but in what You give.
Give us quiet hearts,willing hands,and steady faith,
that we may receive each moment from Youand walk in Your will,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
*******************
Dying with Jesus, by death reckoned mine;
Living with Jesus, a new life divine;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine,
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
Refrain
Moment by moment I’m kept in His love;
Moment by moment I’ve life from above;
Looking to Jesus till glory doth shine;
Moment by moment, O Lord, I am Thine.
Never a trial that He is not there,
Never a burden that He doth not bear,
Never a sorrow that He doth not share,
Moment by moment, I’m under His care.
Refrain
Never a heartache, and never a groan,
Never a teardrop and never a moan;
Never a danger but there on the throne,
Moment by moment He thinks of His own.
Refrain
Never a weakness that He doth not feel,
Never a sickness that He cannot heal;
Moment by moment, in woe or in weal,
Jesus my Savior, abides with me still.
Refrain
Daniel W. Whittle, 1893
And, lo,I am with you ALWAY, even unto the end
of the world. Matthew 28:20
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