Daily Devotional

"Brothers and sisters, 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,"

Phillipians 3:13

When the Apostle Paul wrote this passage to the Philippians, he tackled the challenge of handling both the past and the future. Faced with this challenge, he took a stand, forgot the past, and moved on to a future with Christ.

No one had more reason than Paul to blame themselves and remain stuck in the past. When he was called Saul, he persecuted Christians, resulting in the death of many of them. Keeping hold of that memory would have been a burden on Paul preventing him from moving forward towards the goal, doing God's will, and experiencing the genuine transformative power of Christ Jesus.

Forgetting this past was only possible with a true conversion in Christ - which formed the fruits of the spirit - and the total transformation of his mind. Only in this way was Paul able to experience and prove the good, pleasing and perfect will of God in his life. Like Paul, if you are in Christ, you are a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!

Forgetting

• Feelings of guilt prevent us from moving forward. Ask God for forgiveness for your sins, and don't look back. Jesus has already paid the price, so go and sin no more.
• Avoid situations that remind you of the past when you were distant from Jesus. In these cases, remember your conversion and how much that decision has changed you.

Moving on

• Read the Word of God. It is stimulating, it feeds the soul and strengthens your faith. The Bible is the nourishment you need to keep moving forward.
• Put God into your plans. Seek Him first and all other things will surely be provided for.

Pray:

Lord Jesus, I want to thank you for transforming my life. I want to press on towards the goal, growing in spirit and in truth. Remove the evil arrows of accusation from me. In you I have found forgiveness and salvation, and for that I am grateful! In Jesus' name, amen!

" ¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine."
Psalm 33:17-19

There are times when we seem to be drifting, everything seems to be heading for failure. No matter how hard we try, things aren't going well. It's at these times that we should stop looking for "earthly solutions" and turn our eyes upwards!

Are we putting God into our struggles, or do we only call on him when we've exhausted all our alternatives to try to solve our problems? Even with dedication and willpower, our victory comes from God! We may have strength, talent - even financial means - but without God, there is no chance of salvation.

God is faithful to protect us, even in times of scarcity. Trust in him, because the Lord protects those who fear him!

Call on those who make a difference!

• Seek God's presence, and ask for his direction.
• Having good conditions is not a sign that we are doing well. Seek God even more!
• If things aren't going well, cry out to Him! God is ready to hear your voice and wants to do great things in your life. Don't put it off.

Pray:

Lord, take care of me! Without you, everything I do is unsafe. My strength is limited and only your presence can make a difference in my life. Guide me with Your mighty hand. In Jesus' name, amen!