Midweek Encouragement - "Are You Facing Forward?”

"Are You Facing Forward?”

     When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. ¹⁷ As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

Genesis 19:16-17 NIV

         It was Mother Teresa who said, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.” Seeing that quote makes me ask, “Where do you spend most of your time?” One of our human weaknesses is to live too much of our time looking back. Lot’s wife tried it, and the result was devastating. (Read the whole story in Genesis 19)

         When middle-distance runner Glenn Cunningham (1909 – 1988) was at his best, he lost a race. He was running very swiftly and strongly in his peculiar way, tearing up the track. Certainly, victory was going to be his! Almost subconsciously, anxious to know how far back the second man in the race was, he glanced over his shoulder, lost his stride, and his competitor passed him and won.

         One of the greatest servants of all Christian history was probably the apostle Paul. I think I can guess what the secret of his success might have been. In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul wrote, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on . . .” That was the key to his life. He forgot what was behind in the past and he moved to what was ahead to what was yet possible. Do you see what I’m saying?

         When today dies, bury it! Get rid of it or it’ll become a weight on your back and chains around your feet. Consider each new day a new birth. In it lies the promise of an unspoiled day! A brand-new chance to make something new, to make something excellent, to lean toward God’s immortal character. Those who can see God’s tremendous possibilities are those who are willing to let go of a painful past and move forward and upward with faces fixed on a glowing future where Christ is already present with us to help us do the seemingly impossible! Are you ready to face forward?



Pastor Dale

Pastor Dale (PD) and Pamela his wife are honored to serve the Mt. Laurel Church of God. If this Mid-Week Encouragement has helped you, perhaps it may encourage someone else. Feel free to share this email with anyone you choose. And if for some reason you'd like to stop receiving PD's Mid-Week Encouragement, just send me an email (kingdomguy@gmail.com) and I'll accommodate your request.