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Tuesday, June 17,
2008
A Pressing Matter
Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I count not
myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those
things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are
before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus. (15) Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus
minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even
this unto you. (KJV)
Strong’s definition for ‘press’:
1377
dioko (dee-o'-ko); a prolonged (and causative) form of a primary
verb dio (to flee; compare the base of 1169 and 1249); to pursue (literally
or figuratively); by implication, to persecute:
KJV-- ensue, follow (after), given to,
(suffer) persecute (-ion), press forward.
Williams New Testament translation
Philippians 3:13-15
13. Brothers, I do not think that I have
captured it yet, but here is my one aspiration, so forgetting what is
behind me and reaching out for what is ahead of me, 14. I am pressing
onward toward the goal, to win the prize to which God through Jesus Christ
is calling us upward. 15. So let us all who are mature have this
attitude. If you have a different
attitude, God will make it clear to you.
When pressing or moving forward in your
walk with the Lord, sometimes or some situations you will find it a
struggle, at times overwhelming to the mind. Like with a long distance
runner, at times it seems like their body just can’t take anymore but they
know they have to continue moving forward if they wish to attain their goal
at the finish line. You will find your walk at times with the Lord similar
in the aspect that the Lord is asking you to move forward, whether a job
situation, a different fellowship, or He is asking you to answer your own
calling in an area He sees as your place in the body even though you may
see different. Remember, the Spirit is willing it’s our flesh and our
carnal thinking that is weak and limited; so for a season whatever the new
area is that the Lord is moving you into it may take a while for your
understanding to catch up with the Lord. What’s that saying, “no pain no
gain”, well at times change seems painful, grievous; never the less
afterward you will see the peaceable fruit of the Spirit manifest as long
as you persevere. In order to continue moving forward in your walk with the
Lord you will find that some of the old ways and old thoughts that you got
by with in the past are no longer effective anymore and thus the need for
change is in order to mature. So like we see Paul explaining, he was
forgetting things which were behind him, old thoughts and ways that were no
longer beneficial to his spiritual growth, and reaching forth or looking
forward to find his new life in Christ. The point is, just because you have
entered a place in your walk where it may seem to be a struggle for the
time being, know that as you persevere and continue seeking the things of
God you will adapt to what the Lord is asking or where He is asking you to
operate and it will yield peaceable fruit.
Luke 3:4-6 As it is written in the book
of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. (5)
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought
low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be
made smooth; (6) And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. (KJV)
Ever hear the term “making a mountain out
of a molehill”? Well those that endure and continue in their walk with the
Lord are able to see the mountain turn into a molehill. Things that you
thought in the past were impossible are now possible with Christ; and areas
in your life that seemed so rough are now smooth and easy to walk in. Now
that the valleys are filled in and that thing in your life that seemed like
such a mountain is brought low the path is much steadier and your life is
not such a roller coaster ride of emotional highs and lows anymore. Just
like with a runner, the more they exercise and keep the body fit and built
up the more they are able to endure the race that is before them as well as
remain healthy. Spiritually these same principles work, by keeping your
body in subjection to the Spirit you are able to endure this day the path
the Lord has for you and make it to the finish line the way He intended you
to. Yes there will be opposition and persecution along this path of life,
and there may be times you get knocked down, but it’s not how many times
you get knocked down that matters it is how many times you get back up and
continue forward, that is what counts.
Matthew 17:18-21 And Jesus rebuked the
devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very
hour. (19) Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not
we cast him out? (20) And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief:
for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye
shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall
remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. (21) Howbeit this kind
goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. (KJV)
A mountain can be anything that is in
your path that appears to be a huge obstacle and hard to get past.
Sometimes what seems simple to one person can be a huge distraction to
another; while others struggle in things and are unable to move forward
because they are still holding onto beliefs from their past. Whatever the
situation is, it is important to pray one for another that they may be
healed and find the comfort and deliverance through Christ. You will find
your answer in prayer, continuing to communicate with the Father on a daily
basis, seeking your answer in His word. Many fail to stay in communication
with the Lord; rather they wait till a crisis arises before they seek His
answer, a crisis that could have been avoided had the lines of
communication stayed open. While fasting can refer to going without food it
also refers to abstaining from anything that is feeding an area of our
flesh that needs to be subdued and put into subjection. So rather than
starve the flesh one spends more time feeding the flesh and its desires,
then wonders why doubt and fear have crept in and kept them from achieving
their goal. The more one feeds the Spirit the more they will see spiritual
results that cannot and will not happen according to the carnal way of
thinking and its dead ways. For you to grow and mature in the Lord you will
be constantly going through changes in your life as you continue to step
into the new realm the Lord has for you. Now the question is, ‘will you let
go of the old childish things in order to press forward in your walk’?
1 Corinthians 13:10-11 But when that
which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
(11) When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
(KJV)
When you are able to see and come to a
perfect (mature) understanding of what the Lord is asking and requiring of
you in order to move forward in your walk with Him, then that which is in
part or any obstacle that has been impeding your sight is done away. Many
people fail and fall short of the glory of God because they put their hand
to the plow but keep looking back to find peace rather than pressing
forward and maturing in the things of the Lord. So today, even though
something may seem like a huge obstacle or mountainous in size, by pressing
forward in your walk and persevering in the Lord you will find that you can
do all things through Christ who is strengthening you. Those that have and
continue to walk the path of life and grow up into the Lord find that many
things that at one time were a distraction and an obstacle were nothing
more than a mirage, an optical illusion of the devil. Just like watching
old monster movies when I was a child I used to be frightened by the
illusions of these movies, but as I grew up and matured I was able to see
the cheap silly special effects of imaginary events and beings. God bless
and press on.
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