No Looking Back

Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. Ecclesiastes 7:10

Many times in the Bible it refers to not looking back and looking ahead. The past is over and nothing can be done to bring it back. No time machine has been invented to do that. I love thinking about the future because it indicates a chance to start over and do things differently. Remember what happened to Lots' wife in Genesis 19:26 when she turned around to look at the place she was leaving? She became a pillar of salt. Pretty bizarre but true.

I love to run and do not enter races like I used to, but when I did, I would not turn around and look at who was behind me but instead focused on the finish line ahead. I had to focus on doing my best and not being concerned about those behind me.

If there is something in life you can not stop thinking about and are harboring regret and remorse the best thing you can do is to charge forward asking God to help you focus on the future and learn from the past.

PRAYER: Today I want to start fresh not looking back and continually wishing I could do something different. I need your help Lord to focus on the here and now and grow from any past failures. In Jesus' name. Amen.

FOCUS STRAIGHT AHEAD AND UP

 

As I was driving leaving the Army post the other day I looked in my rear view mirror and noticed the car behind me was right on my bumper. This is a big pet peeve of mine and I am trying to gain victory over it.

This made me think about distractions of sin in our own lives. When we focus on problems in our life or the life of a family member we can become so annoyed and worried that we take our eyes off Jesus. When you take your eyes off the savior then fear sets in. Don't look down, right, left, or behind you but stay focused straight ahead on God's plan for your life.

A gymnast on a balance beam has to have strict concentration when walking across the beam. If not they could tumble to the floor before often with injuries as a result. Likewise there may be "storms" brewing all around you but to not be fearful you have to trust Jesus.

Satan has many schemes to get your focus off God and make you crumble and weak in your faith. Keep pressing on my friend.

'Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.' Hebrews 12:1-2(ESV).

PRAYER: Another day is dawning. A day for me to go out into this world looking up and straight ahead to you and not worrying what is behind me or to the left or right. I thank you father that you are guiding me every step of the way as long as I trust in you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD

What happens when you are walking and you do not keep your eyes straight ahead? Just watch people fixated on a "communication device" also know as Smart phones to see what occurs. If the person does not occasionally look up they may run into people or might fall down. Your focus needs to be "straight ahead" in order that you can see obstacles in your path.

Life is like that too. You have to stay focused straight ahead and on your goals and your dreams. Do not allow nay sayers to tell you you can not do something. Do not allow Satan to lie to you and tell you there is no hope for you or for a loved one because there is always hope.

Keeping focused straight ahead, and not behind, is the key. The Bible has something to say about this as well. It tells us in Proverbs 4:24-27(NIV) 'Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.' Focus ahead, straight ahead. Do not let Satan cause you to take another path, look back, or look down. 2 Peter 3:13(KJV) says 'But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.' Read the entire chapter to get this verse in it's proper context but basically earth one day will be destroyed and believers need to be looking ahead to heaven with great anticipation.
1 Corinthians 9:24(NIV) says '

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.' Winners look up and straight ahead. They do not fix their gaze anywhere but upon the prize. What are you looking ahead too? Maybe it is a raise at work. Perhaps the birth of a baby. A marriage and life together with the one you love. Whatever it is hopefully a life lived for Jesus is in the equation. Run your race of life straight ahead to win the heavenly prize. PRAYER: Dear Father I thank you that I have much to look forward to. Sometimes I may have become distracted and seemingly acted like something was more important than the heavenly prize. Help me Lord keep looking up and helping others to keep looking straight ahead as well. In Jesus' name. Amen.

KEEP LOOKING AHEAD

Remember the story in the Bible about Lot's wife looking behind her and turning into salt? See Genesis 19:26. Scripture tells us in many places to forget what is behind and to "press on" to what is ahead. Looking back does no good. Yesterday is over and tomorrow is ahead of you. 

Philippians 3:13-14(AMP) says ' I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.'  Notice those words, "press on".  We should do just that. When we suffer a set back sometimes we feel like giving up but God wants you to charge on with confidence, faith,and courage. The enemy, Satan, wants to defeat all believers and get them giving up and living in the past.

In life it is good to stay focused ahead of you, not behind. Driving a car requires focus on the road ahead and not look to the back and end up in a collision. Alpine skiing requires looking ahead down the mountain so you will not run into a tree.  When running a race it is necessary to focus on the course and finish line ahead of you. 

Proverbs 4:25(NIV) says 'Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you.' Deuteronomy 5:32(NIV) says '

So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.

The past is just that. Learn from it but do not wallor in it. God forgets our sins and He looks ahead to the future so why not try doing the same. Bury mistakes, "shake the dust from your feet" over things you can do nothing about. Commit all that you do to the Lord from here on out. Try to memorize this scripture from Proverbs 3:5-6(NKJV). 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.'

PRAYER: Lord Jesus my desire is to fix my eyes straight ahead on you and run the race to win not allowing Satan to distract me, make me turn around, or get off course. I look to you to light my path ahead of me. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

LOOK AHEAD, NOT BACK

 The idea for this title came to me while driving about 5 p.m. one weekday. I realized just how important it was to not look behind me but to keep my eyes focused on the traffic particularly in the high traffic times of the start and end of the work day. If you live in a major city you have true rush hour but here where I am we have lots of cars on the road but nothing like a huge city rush hour. It is important when you drive in lots of heavy traffic that you keep plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you and pay attention always looking ahead down the road for hazards. If you start being distracted by your rear view mirror the traffic could, in fact, suddenly stop and you will more than likely crash into the vehicle ahead of you.

In life too, we need to look ahead and not behind. The past is gone and can not be resurrected. You can learn from the mistakes you have made and confess sins you may have committed, but after that you are to move on and let it go and focus on the here and now and the future. Constantly clinging to the past is not going to bring it back. It is gone, period!

Let's say you can not forget some sin you committed in your life even though you confessed it and God forgave you but Satan keeps trying to torment you with it. Talk out loud to Satan and say 'Satan I will not believe your lies. God has redeemed me and set me free to lead a life pleasing to Him so in the name of Jesus be gone' then move on. After all there is a verse in Psalm 103:12(NIV) that reminds me 'as far as the East is from the West so far has He removed our transgressions from us.'
You might recall the story about Lot's wife in Genesis 19:18-26 where the family was fleeing the evils of the city of Sodom before God destroyed it. God had commanded them to not look back. Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt. Not listening to and obeying God then sure had dire consequences. It is tempting to maybe turn around but forget it and keep looking ahead. Charge on!

The Army used to sing a Jody call for marching in formation and maybe it is still used and it went something like this: 'Ain't no use in looking down, there's no discharge on the ground. One two three four, one two give me some more.' Looking down and looking back indicate perhaps a lack of peace about the future or wanting to stay way you are.

Can you look straight ahead and keep your eye on the prize, that being living a life pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ and throwing off the weights of sin along the way that cling to you and try to drag you down? Keep your eyes on the future. God has good things in store!

Philippians 3:14(NIV) says 'I press on toward the goal, to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Jesus Christ.'

PRAYER: I thank you so much that in Christ I have a future and a hope. I need not cling to the past and worry over things that can not be changed. Help me Lord as I press on for the prize of eternal life. In Jesus' name. Amen.