Daily Bible Reading - Friday - October 2nd

Seems like Paul and the writer of these devotions have been getting together because once again Philippians goes right along with the devotional.  Philippians 3:12-14 says ¹²Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³Brothers, 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, ¹⁴I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. That goes right along with what the devotional says.  In the past and even now I have a tendency to look back at what I’ve done in the past and wonder how God can work in my life today, that is really letting my past rule me but if we think about it, we’ve already asked God to forgive us of past things so God really doesn’t remember that anymore.  I can see Him sitting there and wondering what we are talking about.  Like the devotional says, we need to look ahead and take that step forward to our dreams, once we take that first step God will be there to lead, guide and direct our path to make our dreams happen.  I Cor. 15:57 says “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ".  What a great scripture to confess each day.

Today’s Reading

Isaiah 66:1-24
Philippians 3:4-21
Psalm 74:1-23
Proverbs 24:15-16

Daily Devotional

"…despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us."
(Romans 8:37, NLT)

Many people struggle with letting go of past hurts and failures. They get caught up in how unfair their situation is. And the whole time, their dreams are lying dormant and unfulfilled. It's time to realize that in order for a new door to open, you must let old ones close behind you. Maybe you got off to a rough start in life. You may have had more than your share of setbacks. Let me encourage you. It's not how you start but how you finish that counts.

It may seem like your dreams have died, but God can bring them back to life. Your future is not determined by your past. But holding on to the past will keep you from moving forward. God has already given you the victory. He wants you to take hold of the dreams He's given you. He will see to it that they come to pass as you obey Him and give Him your whole heart.

You can go beyond where you are today. Your best days are not behind you, they are in front of you. Shake off past discouragements, and take a step toward your dreams. Choose today to stop looking back, and fix your eyes forward on the new beginning God has for you.

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father in Heaven, today I choose to let go of the things of my past. I realize that despite cir****tances, I have the victory through Christ. I ask you to show me any dreams that are lying dormant, and bring them back to life in new ways. In Jesus' Name. Amen"