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IT AIN’T EASY, BUT IT’S WORTH IT! 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. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. –Phillipians 3:13-15 I can still remember when Penny and I were going through our difficult times trying to work out our problems and constantly going back and forth with the ideas of leaving or staying. That was tough. The Bible is true when it says the wicked are like the waves of the tossing of the seas; ‘there is no rest’ says my Lord, ‘for the wicked.’ (Isaiah 57:20) There was no rest. I don’t know how God communicates with you, but he tends to communicate with me in visions and pictures. One day when I was in prayer during those tough times God gave me a picture of the two of us sitting on a porch in matching rocking chairs, and our children bringing our grandchildren to visit “Nana and Popi.” I just couldn’t conceive of them having to go to different homes to visit their Grandparents. It just wouldn’t be right. So I would just have to pick myself up again -or rather let Him pick me up (Psalm 40:2), get ready to crucify my flesh again and press on toward the prize, because I will not make my grandchildren go to separate homes to visit their grandparents. After all, what kind of an example would that be? We must take the long view of things and be willing to make short-term sacrifices for the long term good. That’s spiritual maturity. The Bible tells us that one of the fruit of the Spirit is patience, or as the King James says, “long suffering.” That means, suffering lo-o-o-ong. Yet we need the vision of where we want to end up to stay focused on the prize. I still have that vision of our grandchildren coming to visit us as we sit in our rocking chairs on a back porch. That’s the prize, and for that we will continue to strain forward, because though it may be hard, it’s so worth it! Question for the Both of Us: How does God speak to us about our future, visions? dreams? Through His Word? What would be the prize for us? Prayer For the Both of Us: Lord help us to get a clear vision of the prize, so that we would be willing to do whatever it takes, even if it means “suffering long.” We remember how you suffered for us. We can only say “Thank You.” Help us to forget what is behind and strain toward the prize because we know that though it may be hard, it will be so worth it! |
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