It is easy to gravitate to what we know - default back to status quo and historical experience but God calls us to move forward. Nothing wrong with history or evaluating yesterday but there is something great about gleaning from yesterday and moving forward, to embrace more of God and to keep learning as we GrOw. (that is go and grow)
Today's bible reading is from Paul while under Roman guard in prison. Take a read:
SCRIPTURES:
Philippians 3:1, 7,8 -11,12-15.
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! 7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.Pressing on Toward the Goal 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. 15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.
OBSERVATIONS:
If my hearts desire is to pursue maturity, then I must take the same view of life and faith that Paul possessed - I must take "such view of things." Paul was not going to allow the religious leaders of the day nor his prison condition to hold him back. Paul was going to connect with his calling - to make Christ first in his life and consider everything else of no value.
Paul is a man in PURSUIT.
His life and ministry flowed out of pursuit of his relationship with Christ and a desire to gain more and more of Him. A pursuit to receive and share in all that Christ had gone through and to know the power of resurrection in His life
Paul is pursuing to take hold of the reason Christ took hold of him.
Paul is pursuing what lies ahead and it not leaning into yesterday.
Paul is moving on and not letting anything hold him back.
APPLICATION:
It is easy to stay where you are, to view situations and come to the conclusion of surrender. The surrender can often be to the situation rather than to Christ or to moving forward. Here is Paul reminding us and modeling for us that we cannot stay where we are, give up or give in but move forward. Moving forward is a strain at times but it brings us closer to our goal - the prize for which God has called us Heavenward in Christ Jesus. He is our prize and everything we have from Him was because He moved forward and strained. We cannot sit still and wait, when He has called us to move forward and we feel like staying.
PRAYER:
Jesus, you showed us that anything worth eternal value comes as a result of pursuit. The teachings you gave, the miracles you performed and the cross where all a result of you pursuing the call of God and the purpose for you coming to Earth. May we live out your purpose for us and receive your prize as we pursue what you have for us. Give us the power, courage to press on - when we feel like holding back. Amen
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