Looking back and Looking forward

Looking back to our past can lead us to reliving past mistakes, or it can give us opportunities to see where God has interwoven His hand through your life. Looking back at the moments of change, clarity, blessing and healing, can remind us of who God is and of His faithfulness, in our todays. Our old patterns and routines are familiar, well trodden paths or behaviour and choices that have created a well defined groove of expectation and outcome. They are comfortable and we feel safe in the familiar. Our old familiar however, is our yesterday. Each one of us has a today and a purpose to fulfil. Our yesterdays can hold us back from our purpose and plan that God has for us today. Only God knows how many days we have, He has chosen us for this time and for this purpose. It is easy to miss out on today when we are focused on the actions, behaviours, events and what ifs of yesterday.

When life throws us curve balls, and we have all experienced them lately, it throws our familiar grooves of comfort and routine into chaos, and we experience uncertainty, fear, anxiety, and doubt. In the world, there will always be times of uncertainty, but we have such a gift in us, with us and working for us. We have Jesus. In the uncertainty, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and always. Stand firm in the knowledge and understanding and the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. He is faithful. He was faithful in your yesterdays, and He will be faithful in your todays. It isn’t the familiar of our patterns and routines that bring you peace and comfort. Focus your eyes on the one who is with you always. Draw near to God in word, and in prayer. Remind yourself of His faithfulness through His word for it is by hearing the word that our faith is strengthened and it is our faith that encourages us forward toward the purpose, plans, and position God has for us today.

How do we do this? Romans 10:9 instructs us this way. “Confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. For it is in your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved”. Let’s step out of the groove of yesterday’s familiar and into the position and plan God has for us today. When uncertainty hits, look back at the path God’s hand took in your life rather than the mistakes of the past, and feed our faith in our todays, and into our tomorrows.

1 Corinthians:2:9 “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”.

We don’t have guarantees in this life. But we have God. We have His truth, His light, and His guidance. Whatever comes our way, our today’s are where God wants our focus. Fix our eyes on the one who shines the light into our todays and our tomorrows.

For Discussion

• The Familiar of our yesterdays seem preferable to the todays many of us are facing currently. How can we be focusing on what God has for us today through the “stuff” of our yesterdays?

• What has the world thrown at you lately? How has that affected your focus on what God is doing in your life?

• What ways have you been able to shine for Jesus when your focus was on Jesus and not the “stuff” of yesterdays?

• How have you felt God position you for His purpose?

For more discussion, head to our discussion page*

Take Home

The “stuff” of our yesterdays can redirect our focus from where God wants us to be looking. We are supposed to be living differently from the world. Let’s remember to live our lives in a way that makes non-believers doubt their non-belief.

Lastly

Titus 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled upright and godly lives in this present age”.

:Mould me, shape me, until I think like you Lord." Romans 12:2

Titus 2:11, Romans 12:2, Romans 10:17, 1 Corinthians 2:9, John 13:34, 1 Timothy 6:20