PRESS FORWARD!

Philippians 3:14-15 TLB

I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us. [15] I hope all of you who are mature Christians will see eye-to-eye with me on these things, and if you disagree on some point, I believe that God will make it plain to you-

 

We must keep pressing forward in life and not be rooted in the place where life happened to us. Press forward! Forward march! We hear this in the military, but it also applies to our Christian walk. Pressing forward means going ahead with our efforts or goals, forgetting our past but learning from it, and not being deterred from reaching our goals. It also means to look and press forward diligently with optimism for the future.

Synonyms for pressing forward include advancement, development, growth, improvement, promotion, and getting ahead.

Press forward! Forget those things which are behind you—our conduct should not be regulated or influenced by others. If others think they have time to mess about, we don’t: time is life, it is of the essence, and it is flying by so fast that eternity is just around the bend and all is at stake.

Life and circumstances have kept some of us marching on the spot instead of pressing forward. We think standing still will either make a situation go away or that magic will happen without us actively doing anything about it. Our text says otherwise—we’ve got to reach forth, pointing out that sweating or labour is necessary for the race of life and eternity; every muscle and nerve should and must be used.

We must press in and forward to reach our goal. The way of truth and righteousness is a straight line that we must walk on if we desire to see all that the Lord has planned for us manifested according to His word in Deuteronomy 5:32.

Even when we encounter obstacles, we must remain focused and not allow those distractions, according to Proverbs 4:25, to change the trajectory of our progress. If we need solutions to the obstacles, be sure that it keeps us pressing forward and not taking a detour.

Sometimes, we remain in a spot because there is either no clear path for us to press into or we are confused about how to proceed. No worries there—the Lord says in Psalm 32:8 that He will instruct and give us all the required assistance, teaching us how, when, and where to press forward to, but only as long as we focus on Him and not on ourselves, according to Proverbs 3:5-6.

Have you remained too long in a spot?

The Lord tells us in Deuteronomy 1:6, “You have remained in this place long enough.” Long enough. It’s time for forward movement—pressing on, start moving, and keep on moving. Don’t allow anyone or anything to stop you.

Don’t allow experience and circumstances to make you reluctant to march forward. Don’t even allow any previous blessing or Godly favour to keep you in a particular spot, and don’t stay there hoping for more when the Lord has better for you ahead. The Israelites stayed almost a year in one spot because of past blessings—that’s unprofitable with God because He always gives us new pastures to occupy and new territory to conquer.

Since Jesus is the way and the truth according to John 14:6, we are therefore not marching on an uncharted path but one certified by the Lord.

Have confidence according to 1 John 5:14 that whatever you ask of the Lord that is within His will, He will give to you and everything else associated with that to glorify His name.

If we choose to follow Jesus, our singular focus must be on the work of God’s kingdom according to Luke 9:62.

So, start and keep pressing forward!

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

- What has kept you in that spot for too long? Are you willing and ready to press forward? 

- Do you recognize and acknowledge whatever is a distraction from your progressive pressing? How would you handle it now? 

- Could you be more attentive to the Lord’s leading so you know where and how to press?

PRAYER: Thank you, Lord, for the grace and strength to press in and keep pressing forward in every area of my life, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/womenoflight/episodes/PRESS-FORWARD-e363crf

Follow the FRESH MANNA CHANNEL on Telegram: https://t.me/freshmdevo

Follow the FRESH MANNA CHANNEL on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va8y5tqAjPXP6kZdoX1j

EMAIL: TEEWOMENOFLIGHT@OUTLOOK.COM

WOULD YOU CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH US TO REACH MORE PEOPLE? BY SHARING THIS MESSAGE ON YOUR PLATFORMS AND CONTACTS OR  SOWING A SEED TO HELP US KEEP DOING THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY.

PayPal account: prodbyjayt1@gmail.com.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR GENEROUSITY AND SUPPORT.

SHALOM

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START AGAIN!

Job 17:10-11 GW   "But now, all of you, come and try again! I won’t find one wise man among you.  My days are passing by. My plans are broken. My dreams are shattered."[10]   Life may require us to start again—and it’s never too late to start over. One of life’s certainties is that everyone will experience failure at something at some point. Life is never an unbroken series of victories. Setbacks, losses, and sometimes defeat will happen and may overwhelm us. Defeat may be thrust upon us by circumstance or by others, or we may defeat ourselves by our own thoughts and actions. When this happens, some give up, some persist until they succeed, and others are willing to start over again. Luke 7:11-15 gives the account of the widow of Nain, on her way to bury her only son, crying, distraught after losing another close family member. On the way, Jesus saw her, had compassion, and acted.  The woman must have thought, "Is He kidding? Does He know what I've been t...
Read more

DIVINE VISION!

Jeremiah 1:1-11 NASB The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, [2] to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. [3] It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month. [4] Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, [5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” [6] Then I said, “Oh, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” [7] But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. [8] “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord. [9] Then the Lord stretch...
Read more

RESISTANCE FROM STEPPING INTO PURPOSE!

John 16:33 AMPC I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]   Stepping into your God-given purpose is one of the most powerful decisions you will ever make. But it is also one of the most resisted. The Bible makes it clear that whenever God calls a person, opposition rises—externally, internally, and spiritually. Jesus Himself tells us that trials will come, but His victory gives us courage and peace. Every believer must understand this: resistance is not a sign that you’re in the wrong place; it is often proof that you’re stepping into the right one. Everyone called by God faces resistance! Throughout Scripture, the moment people stepped into divine purpose, they faced pushback. ...
Read more