July 17, 2018 WWJWMTD by Steve the son of John

Your Past vs. Your Future

I see too many Christians who live more in their past than their future. They talk more about their past than their future, as if, they have no future. I know the temptation (when you get over 60) is to tell everyone “how things use to be” but it is only in our future that we will find Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11 states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”

The question is when does this start? When you are born, saved, start going to church, between age 18 and 45, or is it an ongoing process? So many people once they get over 70 have no plans. They are merely living out the final years of their life.

Whenever we begin to start looking back, remembering how things once were, we put our future on hold. Looking back is never a good thing! There are plenty of Scripture stories that illustrate the danger of “looking back”.

The children of Israel after coming out of Egypt began to look back and remember how good they had it in Egypt—the ones that did died in the Sinai Desert. Lot’s wife looked back after being led out of Sodom and Gomorra became a pillar of salt. The religious leaders in the days of Christ’s ministry on earth could only accept what God did in the past—they had no vision for the future.

I can tell you emphatically that without hope for a bright future you are lost and without the will of Christ in your life. Any time in your life when you reflect on your past and ‘look to remember how good it was’ you are in danger of Satan leading you into despair.

We always have a future in Christ. I will soon be 70. God has indeed blessed me with many blessings over those 70 years, but I am looking to my future in Him. I am looking to do more, and whatever I do, to have a greater blessing than God has given me in my past.

It is Jesus I am looking too. He is my hope, He is my future, and He is my strength to be able to do all things. Yes, I have a past but I only look forward to my future—this is my joy!

WWJWMTD

What would Jesus want me to do?

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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