Bible League: Living His Word . . . I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.After the Apostle Paul's conversion experience, he began to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." What did Jesus take hold of him for? It was to "know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:10-11). It was, in other words, to know the fullness of what it means to live, suffer, die, and be raised from the dead in Christ Jesus. Although he had not yet taken hold of it in its fullness, it was the goal toward which he pressed on so that once he reached it he would "win the prize" that God had waiting in heaven for him. Before "straining toward what is ahead," Paul had to forget "what is behind." What he had in mind here is not reflection on the past in general, but only that which keeps one from pressing on into the future. As a former persecutor of the church, of course, Paul had more problematic memories than most. It would be easy to imagine Paul going over and over in his mind the atrocities he visited on the church. It would be easy to imagine him consumed with regrets. That kind of remembering the past, however, is precisely what should be left behind, because it can keep you from going forward. Further, it needs to be left behind because it implicitly assumes that the atoning work of Jesus Christ never happened. If regrets have you going over and over the past in futile quests to resolve them on your own, then consider that God remembers your sin no more (Isaiah 43:25). If God Himself can forget your sins, there is no reason for you to allow ugly memories to torment you and hinder you from pressing on into the future. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingGenesis 38, 39, 40 Genesis 38 -- Judah and Tamar NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 39 -- Joseph's Success; Potiphar's Wife; Joseph Imprisoned NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Genesis 40 -- Joseph Interprets the Cupbearer and the Baker's Dreams NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Matthew 12:22-50 Matthew 12 -- The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath; By Their Fruit; Sign of Jonah; Who are my Mother and Brothers? NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion You must set aside a tithe of your crops—one-tenth of all the crops you harvest each year. Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the LORD your God chooses for his name to be honored—and eat it there in his presence. This applies to your tithes of grain, new wine, olive oil, and the firstborn males of your flocks and herds. Doing this will teach you always to fear the LORD your God. Insight The Bible makes the purpose of tithing very clear: It teaches us to fear the Lord and put him first in our lives. We are to give God the first and best of what we earn. For example, what we do first with our money shows what we value most. Giving the first part of our paycheck to God immediately focuses our attention on him. It also reminds us that all we have belongs to him. Challenge A habit of regular tithing can keep God at the top of our priority list and give us a proper perspective on everything else we have. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Isaiah 41:14 I will help thee, saith the Lord.This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: "I will help thee." "It is but a small thing for me, thy God, to help thee. Consider what I have done already. What! not help thee? Why, I bought thee with my blood. What! not help thee? I have died for thee; and if I have done the greater, will I not do the less? Help thee! It is the least thing I will ever do for thee; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose thee. I made the covenant for thee. I laid aside my glory and became a man for thee; I gave up my life for thee; and if I did all this, I will surely help thee now. In helping thee, I am giving thee what I have bought for thee already. If thou hadst need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it thee; thou requirest little compared with what I am ready to give. 'Tis much for thee to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. Help thee?' Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of thy granary asking for help, it would not ruin thee to give him a handful of thy wheat; and thou art nothing but a tiny insect at the door of my all-sufficiency. I will help thee.'" O my soul, is not this enough? Dost thou need more strength than the omnipotence of the United Trinity? Dost thou want more wisdom than exists in the Father, more love than displays itself in the Son, or more power than is manifest in the influences of the Spirit? Bring hither thine empty pitcher! Surely this well will fill it. Haste, gather up thy wants, and bring them here--thine emptiness, thy woes, thy needs. Behold, this river of God is full for thy supply; what canst thou desire beside? Go forth, my soul, in this thy might. The Eternal God is thine helper! "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismay'd! I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid." Daily Light on the Daily Path Colossians 1:19 For it was the Father's good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him,John 3:35 "The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Philippians 2:9-11 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, • so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, • and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Ephesians 1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. Colossians 1:16 For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him. Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Colossians 2:10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority; Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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