April 8-9 - Which way?

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you” - Philippians 3:12-15 ESV

On the Australian coat of arms is a picture of an emu and a kangaroo. These animals were chosen because they share a characteristic that appealed to our forefathers. Both the emu and kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail. Those who truly choose to follow Jesus become like the emu and kangaroo, moving only forward, never back (Luke 9:62).

This took my mind back to New Year, and resolutions – 'the list,' - those resolutions we have all made. By now most of us have failed to get any of them done, forgotten them, or perhaps even misplaced them. The rest of us have dismissed them entirely. We had plans to move forward in 2016. Man has a plan, but God orders our steps. We may not have met our personal goals, but we can thank God for the positives we have expeienced, and not dwell on the negatives.

Don't look back. The Bible tells us to press on towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus. We are in a race and we can’t go back and retrieve any time lost from the mistakes we've made, but we can “....press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14 KJV) “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.” (1 Corinthians 9:24 KJV)

We are constantly to be moving forward, growing and doing all we can to get the message of God’s love to others. We must make sure that we are living a life that reflects Christ’s nature to attract others to Him.

So there is no list of do’s and don’ts. Plain and simply put, live your life one day at a time, asking the Lord what He requires. Take each day and say, 'Lord, what is on your agenda for me today?' If you can find out His plans on a daily basis then you won’t be disappointed at the end of the year.

“One day at a time” is todays music choice sung by Charlie Landsborough. Click on the picture to listen.