Nov 17 – MARCH FORWARD !

“…but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13,14)

You should never forget that whenever you make a firm resolution or a new commitment in the presence of God, you are already marching toward victory, toward the Joy of His presence and toward the excellence of His kingdom.

At the start of the new year, you make many new resolutions. Similarly, you should also make some firm commitments at the start of every month. These should not be just nominal resolutions but you should also have the commitment to implement the same. Every morning you should dedicate yourselves in the presence of God and pray for these resolutions. Apostle Paul mentioned: “but one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.” Yes, that was his firm resolution.

First and foremost, you should completely remove all that is behind you and whatever is pulling you back and whatever that is lowly. When someone leaves Sodom, he or she should not look back at Sodom. Once you have exited Egypt, you should not still be thinking of the onions, garlic, melons and fish of Egypt.

For some people, their past memories bring in sorrow and pain in their hearts. There are some others, who always talk about their past experiences and have still not committed themselves to new directions and new guidance. Once George Bernard Shaw rightly mentioned that: “We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility of our future.”

Secondly, you should seek and strive for those that are forward and those that are excellent. The Lord says: “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth…” (Isaiah 43:18,19). Indeed, the Lord is creating a new thing in your life, today.

Thirdly, like a bus or a ship or a plane which have a certain destination, you should also have a clear goal for your life. And that goal is to attain the perfection of Christ in this world and to be in eternal Canaan forever. Dear children of God, are you progressing in that direction, each day of your life?

Verse for further meditation: “Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).