Looking Forward

When I look back on my life I realize that I have wasted much time, yet God used every struggle, mistake, and sin to teach me many lessons. Unfortunately, many times I had to go through the test several times to learn the intended lesson God was trying to teach. I was a procrastinating child. Well, let me be blunt. I was lazy. But God was patient with me and has taught me many lessons. Using my own failures for good. So instead of looking back, I now look forward.

I see now that it was nothing in me that made me appealing or successful in any way. It was God. I was always the one who would look at the mistakes of others and try to learn from them. Of course, it didn’t stop me from making my own mistakes, but for good reason. It was the will of the Lord that I failed. Because honestly, most of us do not learn from success but from failure. That rings true with me.

Through it all, the Lord chose me anyway to be His instrument to call others to repentance and to encourage them to follow Jesus Christ in all His ways. Just as the scriptures say, “His strength is made great through my weaknesses.” In many ways when you walk with the Lord you will find that your life reflects the lives of great people described in the Bible. You know you are on the path God has chosen when you pass the same signposts as they did. Praise God.

Just like them God named me and created me from before time for this mission. To proclaim His Gospel from the skill He gave through my writing, through the working of His Spirit. In ways, it is a mission, unlike others with great importance, work hidden until revealed in Heaven. Most of the work I do for the Lord is done in secret, not to be known to men until that day the Lord brings reward to all of us in heaven. This is the way it should be done. First, the diligent work in secret for the kingdom of Heaven, building up treasure, and much later comes the paycheck. The way Jesus instructed us to work for Him.

“But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

Though in and of myself I am weak, timid, slow, and of few spoken words. But when the power of His Holy Spirit is upon me He makes me strong, bold, and wise, and His message flows like water. This proves that it is His power working through my weakness. Just as Paul talked about. I would not have it any other way.

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

I will continue to move forward and upward to the call from my Savior. To do His will. To seek and save the lost, help those He sends my way, and go where ever He leads. My delight is in serving Him by serving others. My dwelling place is with the Lord, and my reward is in His hand. I do not have to worry that it may be stolen or lost. Because it has been deposited in the most trustworthy of banks, a heavenly one. He has made a promise and He will fulfill it. As they say, “you can take that to the bank.” Praise God! All glory, honor, and credit go to Jesus Christ!

This applies to you as well. Follow His lead where ever that might be. Learn the lessons that He is teaching you now so that you will not have to endure them again. Do the work He lays in your hands to do. No matter what that might be do it diligently. Whatever hardships you have gone through or are presently enduring, remember the Lord disciplines His children for good. It is all about following and obeying Jesus. Working for things that have eternal value, human souls.

If you are of the Lord and chosen by God to be His child, His heir, you will have to endure many fiery trials and persecutions. This is how he refines us into His image. Like silver and gold must be heated and purged of impurities. This is what He is doing with you. It will be all for your good. It will all be for His glory in the end. Keep seeking Him, following and obeying Him, working hard for Him, and enduring to the end. He promises great reward and celebration in Heaven someday with all the angels and saints. What a day that will be!

Listen to me, O coastlands, and give attention, you peoples from afar. The LORD called me from the womb, from the body of my mother He named my name. He made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He hid me; He made me a polished arrow; in His quiver, He hid me away. And He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” But I said, “I have labored in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity; yet surely my right is with the LORD, and my recompense with my God.” Isaiah 49:1-4