Monday, February 25, 2013

NO LOOKING BACK



Ezra 3:12   But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 

What was going on here was that the Jewish people were now returning to Jerusalem from their 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Within this group returning were older men who had became priest in the captivity and many of these men had seen as youths the glory of the first temple before they with their parents were taken into captivity. 

It is radical to think that these men lived long enough to see all these events and to now feel the sins of the past and to be able to see the affects of those sins that had caused the fall of this once great nation. 

Now coming back and remembering the first temple and it glory, these men started to cry uncontrollably. It is one thing to reflect on the past and learn from it. (2 Corinthians 13:5) but it is another thing to dwell on the past and allow it to dictate how we live in the future.

Paul writes to us on how to have victory over the past and prepare for the future. In Philippians 3:13-16 Paul writes to us about not looking back and dwelling on the past failures and victories but to give everything I got to the future of the upward call in Christ Jesus. (v.14) 

Then Paul writes to us (v.15-16) to have this mind of maturity and God will continue to speak to us and guide us. What will you dwell on? The past and be miserable or the future and be blessed? The choice is always yours.