Just Sharing…a Thought Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land. Isaiah 43:18&19 (GWT) Brothers and Sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet. This is what I do: I don’t look back, I lengthen my stride, and I run straight toward the goal to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus. Whoever has a mature faith should think this way. And if you think differently, God will show you how to think. However, we should be guided by what we have learned so far. Philippians 3:13-16 (GWT) As we now receive a God given New Year and a new day to rise and breathe, my inquiry of me and whoever else will receive it is: ‘What have I learned so far?’ It does seem to me that we have been plagued with a shallow and excusable cliché’ of: ‘New Year’s Resolutions’. ‘Shallow’ in that we are in the ‘moment’, with guilt or remorse or with, “I’m gonna do better in the New Year, doggone it”. ‘Excusable’ as with the understanding, “Who am I kidding, I can’t do that”, or “Well, at least I tried maybe I’ll do better next year”. And so the question is: “What have I learned so far?” We, as humans, seem to hold on to guilt, un-forgiveness and reminiscing un-forgetfulness. God told the Israelites to, “Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell (or linger in remembrance) on events from long ago.” As we are the children of God, the Holy Spirit is doing “something new” in our life, and “It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?” Our Lord is desiring that we “dwell” on things now in the present ‘Born Again’ newness of our life, not on “events from long ago”. We need to allow this year to be a New Year. Well, more that allow, put forth determined, Godly maturing effort to ‘walk the talk’ of all that you have learned in Christ. “What have you learned so far?” Our Lord desires to “clear a way in the desert” of your life. He desires to “make rivers on dry land”, as you allow Him to wash away all that guilt, that un-forgiveness, that constant remembering of things long ago and you just won’t let them go no matter how much others say you have changed or how much that person has changed in their life that daily involves you. That is fear and a falsely perceived ‘safety net’, that will eventually destroy any real or true joy and peace of life that you could ever have; as well as in love in never allowing God’s Spirit to bring those “rivers on dry land” and that “clear way in the desert” of your life. Satan surely desires this to continue, so that he may be satisfied in your eventual downfall and destruction. The Holy Spirit through the recorded words of the Apostle Paul brings to us this overcoming, life changing, Godly mature thought and understanding. He says to us, “Brothers and Sisters, I can’t consider myself a winner yet”. OK, for sure we can relate to that. Then he gives us a Godly word of advice, as he says, “This is what I do”. He says that he doesn’t continue to dwell or linger in the past of guilt, or un-forgiveness, or un-forgetting-ness. He says that he runs as fast and as straight as he can toward the goal of his life. What goal is that to you? To Paul it was, “to win the prize that God’s heavenly call offers in Christ Jesus”. What is that prize? If you don’t know, this is the year to find out. God desires to mature your faith through faith and trust in Jesus Christ by you allowing the Holy Spirit to have first place in your life and to reign in your thoughts, truths, feelings and realities. He tells us in Colossians 3:2 that we must ‘set our inner most thoughts and intentions on things above, and not on things on this earth’, especially those that should very well be left behind. So that we may not be left behind in anything that God has for us. In this New Year let us allow God to “show us how to think”, and be guided by His Truth. Bro. Don We must quit just staring up the steps and start stepping up the stairs.Vance Havner Evangelist/Pastoral Counseling - Cyber Missionary - GospelSinging, BibleTeacher - Bro. Don songsinheart@yahoo YouTube Channel: youtube/user/dondew57 (Click on link then in box click blue: follow link)
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 05:30:21 +0000
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