St Paul “But one thing I do:Forgetting what is behind and straining towards What is ahead.”
(Philippians Chapter 3 Verse 13)
St. Paul understood the true meaning God’s love and forgiveness. He did not let his past get in the way of receiving God’s forgiveness.
The past can hold us from moving forward especially the guilt. The past can haunt us. St Paul had received God’s forgiveness and made up his mind not to dwell on the past as it would get in the way of him moving forward with his life and with his God.
St Paul had great confidence in God. He believed that the past could be left with God and he could move on with God.
St Paul was known as Saul before Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus. His life changed dramatically when Jesus appeared to him and he became a follower of Jesus.
Paul had to be greatly forgiven by God. As Saul he had approved the brutal stoning of Stephen to death.
He knew how much he was forgiven by God. God’s forgiveness has no limits but we do have to respond to his love.
Also God’s divine purposes are far greater than our human failings or the setbacks we experience in life. It was St Paul who wrote, “In all things God works together for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Like St. Paul we can say, “But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.”
We can trust God to work out his divine purposes with our past, our present and our future.
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
I pledge my life to you,
I give you
My past
My present
And
My Future.
Amen
By Harbajan (servant of Jesus) 29/11/13