New Beginning, New Opportunity, Every Single Day!

So it’s Monday, but don’t let that bother you on this 18th day of August 2008. I must tell you just how much I have appreciated the many cards, calls, gifts, and expressions of greetings from so many in honor of my birthday. It has been a humbling experience. Our official family get together is scheduled for next Sunday and I do look forward to seeing everyone! Just so you know, 62 feels a whole lot like last Friday's 61! However, we don’t live on yesterday’s energy. We must move on, embrace today, and get on with pursuing the calling God has enabled us to accomplish in the life He has given to us. This is not always easy for me to do since by now you no doubt have noticed that I do love lingering in the past tense. And, it serves no useful purpose at this time to once again go into why the time travel scenario has always been attractive to me.

Dwelling on the past may have some beneficial inputs into the foundation we need for today, but it should never keep us from making progress in the here and now. We live in today’s world and this day is the one we can use for the honor and glory of God. The Apostle Paul was very much aware of his past and because he had persecuted the early Church and consented to and most likely even caused some members to be put to death, he could have easily been disabled by the weight of guilt these memories carried. Yet, he wrote to the Church at Philippi that he had to put the past behind and focus his time and energy on reaching out and stretching himself in pursuit of the changed new life and high calling God had given to him. (see Philippians Chapter 3) Even so you and I must do the same if we are to do today what it is that God wants us to do.

Our adversary, that old dragon himself, Satan, loves to distract us from any and all things related to our relationship with God. As a believer, he cannot take away our eternal salvation but he can wreak havoc in ruining our testimony, keeping us from God’s best, or in having us live mediocre and unproductive lives. When we fail, he stands to accuse us before our Father. He hurls his slanderous charges as we slip and slide around but we have an advocate who stands up for us, and it is none other than Jesus our Savior. He proclaims our identity and immunity based on His payment for our sins, not our performance. Wow! Are we blessed or what? In addition, we are not condemned to having to live in sin because our Father and His Son, our Savior, has given us supernatural power to help us, available through the living presence of the Holy Spirit who is in each believer. Wow! Are we blessed or what? Wow!

Our potential for failing is real and active on a twenty-four hour basis. Our enabling from God is greater than this potential and it too is available at any and all times. Therefore, we can go in His power, today. We can yield ourselves to His leadership, today. We can be sensitive to the situations He wants to use to accomplish through us His purposes, today. It starts with a decision to follow even with a few baby steps that can turn into walking and eventually into being fully mature runners for the Lord. Don’t be discouraged about yesterday, be encouraged in the Lord, today! Earnestly and with a sincere heart seek Him and He will respond and He will work in you, today! May we all find ourselves facing each day with this command from our Lord: On your mark, get set, go! Amen. …..More later.