Scripture:
Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV
[12] Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. [13] Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, [14] I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Observation:
I was just sitting here thinking about all the miles that Paul traveled. Most of them by foot I would imagine. Just thinking about that would make you tired and cause your legs to hurt. He walked thousands of miles. Just to spread the gospel. His encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus truly changed his life. His sitting here what may be years after that moment yet still moving forward to do the very same thing is inspiring to me. Thinking about what he has written in these few short verses, helps me to remember not to stop. Paul was a man with tenacity. He never physically saw the price that Jesus paid for him with his own eyes. However, he did see Steven go through being stoned to death and saying the very same thing that Christ did. Forgive them Father for they know not what they do. Seeing that and experiencing what happened on that road… I can only imagine the kind of drive that he had. Knowing that what he had been taught all his life was not right. I’m sure he felt the pressing need to do whatever he could to change that. Including but not limited to walking thousands of miles just to tell people about Jesus. The tired worn-out nights probably brought the thought that he could just stop many times and let someone else do it from here. But that’s just not who he was. The word press here in these verses has always caught my ear. Because to me it implies that you do it even when you don’t necessarily want to… it also implies that you move forward in the face of opposition. Paul had set his mind on a goal. It was his calling. Whether or not he had help or even thought he could didn’t matter to him he had been called and he knew it so he pressed on to obtain what he knew he had been called to. Preaching the grace of GOD all over the world was his goal and he reached for it walking mile after mile. Forgetting what had been placed behind him and being driven by what was ahead. I can just see him walking saying to himself. Just one more mile getting to the mile and saying it all over again. Having to find ways to motivate himself to keep on moving. Looking forward to the next person who would be set free not paying attention or living on the 10 from the last town or his past for that matter just pressing forward despite it all. The word press is used against in verse 14. Paul wants to make it clear that we need to continue to move forward. You never arrive you never get to that point where you can just sit back and think I have done it. There is always a next.
Application:
When I read this portion of scripture. I think about the movie Hacksaw Ridge. The young soldier Desmond Daose, who had pulled a bunch of wounded soldiers off a ridge where a horrific battle had taken place. Every time he came the edge and lowered a wounded soldier down he would get back up and go back into the battlefield to get one more. Tired and truly exhausted he didn’t let that stop him. He knew the value of their lives and was willing to take the chance of losing his to save just one more. Now how this plays out in my life is a little different. I believe the Christian life has no stopping point. You will never ti to where you are going by stopping at the halfway point. GOD is taking us from one level to the next. There is no stopping point. Every time I think I get somewhere. I am quickly shown how much further I have to go. It’s never over and you just can’t stop. You have to push forward. I know that sometimes you want to stop but you just can’t. Things might not be going your way right now but just hold on to Jesus. HE has called you out of the darkness into HIS marvelous light. What I am saying is just don’t give up. There’s so much more to come. Can I tell you I have been on the edge of giving up myself? In fact, right now I’m struggling to complete this SOAP. The enemy’s lies keep ringing in my ear. Do you really think you are doing something… nobody reads that stuff…. you’re not smart enough to write about the bible…. who do you think you are? Like a marathon runner, you have to ignore that stuff and look at the end goal. One more step one more mile the finish line is not here on earth. You are able because GOD made you able you can because HE said you can. Press forward it doesn’t matter what it looks like GOD has you right where HE wants you.
Prayer:
Father, we know that this walk with you is not always going to be easy. There will be times when we will just have to reach for one more step. We want longevity we know it’s not a race but a marathon help us to breathe and just put one foot in front of the other. Never giving up on what you have called us to. Show us the next step. It’s in the mighty name of Jesus I pray amen.