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Remember To Face Your Future Now Showing: Week 1 (April 1st-7th) | Week 2 (April 8th-14th) | Week 3 (April 16th-21st) | Week 4 (April 22th-28th) | Week 5 (April 29th-31st)
April 30th: Memory and Anticipation - The difference between vibrant people and people who are vexed lies in two words: memory and anticipation. As I mentioned before, memory is not a bad thing - but if it is all that you have, you are going to end up vexed because you cannot live in memory alone. You have to live in anticipation. That gives you exhilaration. The life blood that you are expecting from God energizes you because God is so great. With this energy you can face each day, good or bad, and say, the best is yet to come. Are you vibrant or vexed? Do you live in memory or anticipation? Assignment: As you move into the start of a new month, decide to live in anticipation. Make a list of all the things that you are expecting God to do with your life. Review the list at least once a week and let the list exhilarate you with anticipation of God’s move in your life. April 29th: Strain towards Your Future - There are better things yet to come to those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit. So in the Spirit of good news, press towards the future because everything around you is going to try to hold you back and make you a captive of the history of your life. Strain with everything within you to embrace that which is best and ahead of you. That is your future. What does the Spirit tell you? What about your flesh? Are they different? Assignment: Find a scripture that tells you how to differentiate the Spirit from the flesh. Write it down. Then name one area in your life that the Spirit has delivered you from being led by the flesh.
April 28th: God is Eternal - Paul, in his ultimate wisdom, eventually realized that God is eternal. God is past, present and future all wrapped up in one. So Paul, looking at the God of his past and present, realized that he still had something to shout about, because he was looking towards his future. If you trusted God in your past do you think that you should also trust Him in your present and future? Assignment: Strike up a conversation with a co-worker or friend about God’s eternal nature. April 27th: Shout About Your Blessings - Perhaps you cannot shout about the God of your past, but you ought to be ready to shout about the God of your present. While people around you are losing their jobs, you still have one. Although major corporations are shutting down, you still have the means to put food on your table and pay your mortgage. Others are dying and you still have good health. The world is going crazy and you are still sane and in your right mind. These are reasons enough to shout. Do you have a shouting spirit? What causes you to shout? Assignment: Create a “shouting list.” On this list, write down all of the things that you have to shout for. Keep it with you all day and add to it as the day goes on.
April 26th: God of the Present - Paul found out something else amazing. He found that God was not only a part of his past, but his present as well. Yet, having a God who was present did not render Paul immune to challenges. In fact, Paul admits that some of his biggest challenges came after God had called him to preach. It was after salvation that Paul began to deal with difficult people; you will run into the same situation. What challenges are you facing despite God’s presence? Are you dealing with difficult people? How would God have you respond? Assignment: Write a short play with you as the star and your challenge as the co-star. In this play make sure that you act how God would expect you to with Him being with you in your present challenge.
April 25th: God of the Past - The first thing that Paul discovered was that God was with him in his past. Around the seventh chapter of Romans, Paul explained that when he would do good, evil was present and he cursed the fact that he found himself in a sinful reality. But Paul discovered that there was no condemnation because God was with him in his sinful past. Can you ponder on past events or situations where you are clear you were kept by God? Do you believe that God condemns you for your past? Assignment: It’s time to put your past behind you. Write a prayer to God telling Him all of the things that you have done that you are ashamed of. Hold nothing back. At the end of the prayer ask Him to take it all because He has already forgiven you.
April 24th: Stretch Your Eyes - If you are a child of God, you’ve got to stretch your eyes and believe in the impossible. You have to face your future. Do you have a small vision? What does that say about your faith? Assignment: Take the time today to stretch your eyes and envision your future. Pray to God to give you faith in Him and His fulfillment of that vision.
April 23rd: Gold Fulfills His Promises - Regardless of how bad things got and how difficult the days became, the Philippians kept looking for the better day. They believed that God was coming back to get them out of this mess and fulfill His promises to them. Are you afraid that God won’t come through for you? Is this fear keeping you from moving forward? Assignment: Since you may be comfortable looking in the past, think back over the last month. Write down five ways that God has fulfilled His promises to you in the last month. Share this list at your next ministry meeting or small Bible study as a testimony.
April 22nd: Always Move Forward - Paul told the Philippians that the Word of God focused on their future. No one in the New Testament was ever encouraged to go backwards. They were always encouraged to move forward. Are you moving forward or backward? Is your mind moving forward, but your actions aren’t following? Assignment: Meditate on Philippians 3:13. Write a prayer asking God how he would have you move forward in thought, word and deed.
Week 3 April 21st: Don’t Have a Past Mentality - Some of us are like Lot’s wife. The problem with Lot’s wife was that she was afraid of something new. She was obsessed with the familiar and accustomed to what she had experienced, and as a result could not see that God had new challenges and greater blessings ahead for her. She never experienced the best because she got trapped in the past. Are you afraid of trying new things? Are you like Lott’s wife and obsessed with the familiar? Assignment: What new things have you wanted to try but have never started? Are they already written down – perhaps leftover New Year’s resolutions? Write some of them down. Decide today to do some of them and make a timeline to accomplish at least 7 of them during the course of this month.
April 20th: Your Personal Mentality - You have to have the mentality that God is not finished with you yet and that He is going to do something marvelous with your life. You have to believe that God is still crafting your life. Do you know your own mentality? What is it? Assignment: Find five separate scriptures or passages that summarize your personal mentality. Decide if you are happy with this mentality. If not, find five scriptures that summarize the mentality that you seek to have and meditate on one of them during each day.
April 19th: A Joseph Mentality - You have to have a Joseph mentality. Joseph was placed in a pit. He could have dwelt on the fact that there was division in his family. He could have lamented the fact that it was jealousy and envy that put him into the pit. But if he had kept this mindset and lingered in the past he would have stayed in the pit. It was his future mentality that got him out of the pit. He went from the pit to the prison to the palace because he lived with the anticipation that God was going to do something great. Can you relate to Joseph? Do you sometimes feel stuck between a rock and a hard place? Assignment: Today, read up on Joseph. Pick out the characteristics of his mentality that you would like to assimilate into your own life. Consider any characteristics that you share with Joseph that you don’t desire and identify ways to overcome them.
April 18th: A Caleb Mentality - You have to have a Caleb mentality. Caleb was 85 years old when the Israelites reached the Promised Land. They had to deal with warring factions and fear over the fact that they did not have the resources to survive. But at 85 years old, Caleb stood up and said, “We can take this mountain.” Does your lack of resources keep you from looking towards the future? Are you afraid that things will not get any better? Assignment: Write a prayer asking God to help you focus on the future despite your challenges or lack of resources. Share this prayer and promise with a few friends.
April 17th: Age is Just a Number - My faith tells me that God has a whole lot more for me regardless of how old I am. When Paul wrote his letters he was old, his eyes were dim, he had been attacked by Satan and buffeted by a thorn in the flesh, but knowing that God had brought him through a challenging past and present, Paul was excited about his future claiming, “Eyes have not seen, nor ears heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him,” in 1 Corinthians 2:9. Do you think that you are too old to look towards the future? Why? Assignment: Pray and ask God to reveal the work that He still has for you to perform and the plans that he yet has in store. Meditate on Jeremiah 29:11 write it down and carry that scripture with you. Think of the gifts that God has given you and the experiences that He has brought you through. Consider how those gifts and experiences can be used to help others. Make a list of at least one way each week of this month that you can use the gifts and experiences that God has blessed you with to help others.
April 16th: Anticipate - We are supposed to do more than remember, we are supposed to anticipate. We are supposed to stand on our tiptoes and look to the horizon and into the hills from which cometh our help. Are you going through any challenges? What outcome do you anticipate? Assignment: Fold a blank sheet of paper in half. On one half write down your current challenges. On the other half write down the outcome you anticipate through God. In your prayers, give both halves over to God.
April 15th: Avoid the Past Trap - The Word of God tells us to look towards the future. I know that our best days are ahead of us and we cannot let the devil deceive us into thinking that our only duty is to remember the past. Do you get caught easily in the past trap or do you realize that your best days are ahead? Assignment: Learn to avoid the past trap by knowing where the traps are. Spend today figuring out your personal past traps. Think about whether they are in relationships or situations. Figure out ways to avoid them in thought, word or deed. When you feel overwhelmed by your past, remember 1 John 1:9. Write down that scripture and carry it with you. Meditate on it and thank the Lord for His willingness and faithfulness to forgive us of our past.
April 14th: A Double Edged Sword - If we live in the past where we want certain things to be the way they used to be, then you might as well want your wages to be what they used to be or you might wish for separation of the races the way it used to be. Keep in mind that as long as you are trapped in the past, longing for what was, you will never live for what can be. Are there certain things that you miss about the past? Do you miss old-fashioned manners or traditional things? Assignment: Instead of wishing for everything to go back to the way it used to be, reflect on the things that you liked about the past. Figure out how to make those things a part of your future. Take out a sheet of paper. On one side of the paper write down only the things that you miss about the past. On the opposite side of the paper, write down how you are going to incorporate the things that you miss into your present and future.
April 13th: Past vs. Progress - Too much focus on the past is the reason that the church cannot make progress as it should. There are some people in the church who always want things to be the way they used to be. Are you progressing in your spiritual journey or are you clinging to the past? Being open and organic to new things and new ideas is the sign of a person with a healthy spiritual attitude. Christ was always revolutionary in showing a more excellent way in ministry. Are you open to new ideas and dynamic new concepts for the spreading of the Gospel? Assignment: Write down seven things you would like changed in the house of worship. Honestly examine your list and see if you want these changes for your own selfish reasons or for the edification of the Body of Christ and the glorification of God? Write down a person’s name, other than you, who would be a good leader of this vision, and note how it makes you feel to give this vision away.
April 12th: Put Up the Rear View Mirror - You will never live to actualize that better and brighter future as long as you have a rearview mirror mentality. When you drive are you always worried about what’s behind you? What about in life? Do you spend most of your time looking at what you just passed? Assignment: Draw or print off a picture of a rearview mirror. In the mirror write all of the things that you should be leaving in the past. After your finish, write a prayer to God asking Him to help you put all of these things in the past.
April 11th: Build A Bridge - You have to build a bridge and get over it. No one wants to hear about your disappointments and depression all day. We all suffer from time to time, but our future says that things are going to get brighter and better. Is your bridge to your future broken? Is it time to replace some of the slats with God’s promises? Assignment: Draw a picture of a bridge with lines drawn over the bridge showing all of the ways that you are planning to get over your disappointments, depression, heartaches, and setbacks. These lines can be scripture references, hymn lyrics, or any wise sayings to help you change your attitude as you build your bridge to your blessings.
April 10th: Past Pain vs. Future Anticipation - I have seen people who are in their 80s and 90s who are sharp, spry and full of energy and excitement. They have learned to embrace the whole of life, good and bad, and have learned to laugh through life. They are full of life and vibrant. They still have dreams, aspirations and anticipation. I have also seen people in their 50s and 60s who are lethargic, slow and dull. Others hate to be around them because they always regurgitate their pain. If you live long enough, you are going to have some pain, but you have got to get to the point where you put it behind you. Do you live every day with energy and excitement? Do you have dreams, aspiration and anticipation? Are you conversely lethargic, slow and dull? Assignment: Decide today who and how you want to be. Do you want to regurgitate your pain or laugh through life? Write a letter or email to your closest friend explaining that you have made a commitment to being exactly who God wants you to be and why.
April 9th: Our Destiny=Our Future - Our destiny does not lie in what’s behind us, but what’s ahead of us. So you have to learn to face your future. Do you know what your destiny is? What do you believe that God has in store for you? Assignment: On a small sheet of paper, List five ways that you expect God to bless you in the future. Keep this paper and review it at least seven times a day for a month and rejoice in the blessings that manifest from this discipline.
April 8th: Toxic Memories - The issue is actually not so much the gift of memory but what you choose to remember. Too many people hold on to toxic memories; but when you hold on to the past you cannot face your future. What are you choosing to remember? Are some of your memories toxic? Have these memories kept you from blessings? Assignment: Write a prayer to God asking Him to remove the toxic memories that have held you back for so long and have the faith that He will help you to overcome the poisonous effect they have on your life.
April 7th: Memory is a Gift - The gift of memory is a precious gift that should not be taken for granted. In fact, if you ask anyone who has a friend or family member suffering from the Alzheimer’s disease, they will tell you that the symptomatic loss of memory is particularly painful. Although we shouldn’t live in the past, we cannot forget that memories are beautiful gifts. What memories do you consider gifts? Assignment: Take some time during your prayer and meditation today ask God to bring to mind one of your best memories. If it involves a living friend or family member when you get to your phone or computer, call that person or email them and let them know the memory that God gave to you. If your best memory involves a friend or family member that is now deceased thank God for their presences in your life and then thank God for the gift to remember.
April 6th: Forget what is Behind You - Another reason that people struggle is because we are a remembering people. We remember a great deal, however, some of what we remember really needs to be forgotten. What do you need to forget? Should you forget and forgive someone who hurt you? Assignment: Think of a hurtful memory or a need for forgiveness that still plague your mind. Make a decision today to consciously forget that hurtful memory.
April 5th: A Dignified Past - Our past is full of achievement and accolades, whereas the future is unknown. Have you had a great life? Have you accomplished a great deal in your past? Are you more secure in your past than you are in your future? Assignment: On a piece of paper honestly write down some of your past sins, failures and hurts that seem to keep haunting you; now take that piece of paper ball it up and throw it away. Now read Romans 8:1 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live in the reality that you are no longer condemned, but you are free in Christ Jesus and free from your past. Now give God praise for your freedom through Him.
April 4th: Justifying Our Present Situations - Part of the difficulty of facing the future has to do with the fact that we can always look in our past and find justification for our acts in the present. Our present situation is training for future service in building God’s kingdom here on earth. Do you use memories to justify your current actions? Do you act a certain way because someone once treated you badly? Are these areas in your life that you would like to change? Assignment: Write down three behaviors or characteristics that you would like to change in yourself. After you have written down these behaviors, reflect on how your past has led you to these behaviors. Ask God to help you forgive; make a commitment to God and yourself to stop allowing these memories to affect your behavior.
April 3rd: A Universal Struggle - You might be surprised at the number of people who struggle to look ahead and seem to be trapped in yesterday. Do you find yourself comparing your present to your past? Does your past outshine your present? Assignment: Write a personal prayer to God thanking Him for the glorious memories of your past and asking Him to help you focus on your present and future.
April 2nd: A Continuous Process - When Paul wrote to Philippians, How are you preparing for your future? Assignment: Preparation is wise for a prosperous future. Studying God’s Word and living a Christ-centered life is essential. We expend effort attending appointments, meetings, shopping and other daily tasks found in our schedule. Have you scheduled time to study God’s word, which is a lamp to our feet and a light for our path? Create your Bible study schedule today and stick to it.
April 1st: A Word on the Future - In the New International Version of Philippians 3:13 it reads, “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it but one thing I do, forgetting what is behind me and straining toward what is ahead.” This is a great Word that declares, in summary, that we need to face the future. Have you studied God’s Word about your future? Assignment: Mediate on Philippians 3: 13-14, “Brothers, 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. Write down what these passages of Scripture say to you about your future?
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