Weekly Devotional 3-16-2015 A Right Attitude about Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Yesterday is gone, today is here, tomorrow is yet in the future, and we cannot go back and live yesterday over, but we can learn from yesterday’s experiences and use those experiences as a guide for today and for tomorrow. What can be gained by holding onto yesterday and what is good about today if one is not preparing for tomorrow? This is true in both the temporal realm and in the spiritual realm.

Leaving the temporal realm aside we look for helpful insight about what a Christian’s attitude about yesterday, today and tomorrow should be. In doing so, a good consideration might be Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He writes that in the past (yesterday) he attained all that a Jew could attain. Consider Philippians 3:4b-6.“4bIf anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Paul worked hard to attain those things he mentioned. One can only imagine the years he spent in preparation, and the separation from others during those years. But he left those pursuits behind when he became a Christian. He counted all those things as loss for the cause of Christ.

For his present day and his tomorrow Paul desired to know and experience the fullness of Christ. To realize this He put yesterday (the things of the past) behind him. Consider…

“7But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:10-14 NKJV).

It’s not that Paul forgot his yesterday, as several times throughout his journeys he recalled his previous manner of life to those he stood before, or to those he was ministering to by letter (See Acts 26:1-11; Galatians1:10-16), but, the purpose of his recalling was for defense of his ministry or as an encouragement. The point is, Paul did not hold on to the things of his past (his yesterday) considering them to be more important than his relationship with Jesus, his Lord and Savior.

What benefit would there have been for Paul to hold on to the things of his yesterday, his position in Judaism, if it kept him from a relationship with the One who could, and did, give him a righteous standing before Holy God? What benefit would there have been for Paul to hold on to the things of his yesterday if it kept him from daily fellowship with that One, Jesus his Savior and Lord? What benefit would there have been for Paul to hold on to the things of his yesterday if they clouded the hope of his tomorrow?

Is not this the same for you and me?

stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The work of God on Behalf of Man

www.gbchurch.us www.foundationscounseling.org

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