Of course, their is much to be thankful for in our past seasons of life, many blessings from the Father's hand, and much wisdom to be received with gratitude as treasure on our journey forward into new beginnings. The key is that we can never create a better past; we can learn from it, be enriched by it, but we can never change it or move forward by trying to live in the past. Some people hold onto idealized versions of their past, some hold onto bitter, hurtful and resentful memories of past experiences and some just can't seem to let go of what's familiar (many times, what's negative, limiting and restrictive) so that they can move on to better days and make life-shaping contributions to the future God has for each of us.
I am convinced that we are all being invited by God into a "future filled with hope". Of course, this "hope" must be one that proceeds from faith in the promises of a good and faithful, merciful and all-wise and powerful Father who has sent His Son to become the "Hope of all the ends of the earth" - not a human hope, but a supernatural Hope! We hope in the Love of God; we hope in the promises of God that are all "Yes, and Amen!" in Christ; we hope in the Rulership, Kingship and Government of God over all things that rests upon Christ's shoulders, an ever-increasing Government of Shalom for the world's ills and that we share in as the members of His Body in Heaven and on earth.
We have been divinely assured by the apostle Paul that "Christ IN us is the HOPE OF GLORY!" Jesus' Life in us is not one of victimization, intimidation, fearfulness or powerlessness, but the Life that "overcomes the world"! Christ in us as His people, His members, His glorious Church (ekklesia: governing assembly) is the source of our hope in the "knowledge of the Glory of God filling the earth as the waters fill the seas"! This is "a Door standing open in Heaven and a Voice calling us to 'come up Here and I will show you things to come.' " An eternal perspective, a higher view that always sees brighter tomorrows because we are learning to "wait upon the Lord and MOUNT UP with wings as eagles" and fly on the currents of Heaven's Wind to new places in relationship with the Son...places where we are able to see new spiritual landscapes for our lives and those around us and for the world Christ was born into to redeem.
Isaiah reminds us in Isaiah 60: "Arise, Jerusalem! Let your Light shine for all to see. For the Glory of the Lord rises to shine on you. Darkness as black as night covers all the nations of the earth, but the Glory of the Lord rises and appears over you. All nations will come to your light; mighty kings will come to see your radiance...your eyes will shine and your heart will thrill with joy...!" We don't have to wait until we "go to Heaven" to see these things taking place! Heaven has already come to earth in the incarnation of our Savior and King and His Light now dwells in us. We now have the calling to "let our Light shine" in the darkness around us so that explosions of God's Glory may erupt through us around the world to begin the new creation transformation for every aspect of life. Heaven holds strategies and blueprints for earthly transformation that have yet to be exhausted...Christ is the Hope of the Nations and we are carriers of that Hope; a Hope that can heal, deliver, redeem, make new, inspire, release powerful signs, wonders and demonstrations of God's Kingdom manifesting on earth.
Yes, there are appointed, set times in God's plans and purposes and I believe with all my heart that you and I are living in one of those appointed, set times and that our Father is setting before each of us "an open Door", which no man can shut. Let us arise from the things that have hurt, disappointed or opposed our hope, let us arise from our mistakes and battle fatigue and SHINE in this new year, "for the GLORY OF THE LORD rises to shine upon YOU!" By faith, with thankful hearts, let us step into our future, God's future for us, and take hold of it with praise and bring it with all its promise and purpose into our present. For us, as God's sons and daughters, the future is NOW! We have seen it and it looks like Jesus Christ our Lord and He has made us all "partakers of the powers of THE AGE TO COME" (Heb. 6:5) - NOW! What will we do with what the new birth in Christ has released in us? Will we cooperate with the future bleeding backward into our time and lives through the operation of the Holy Spirit? Will we, with our Lord's beloved Mother, say "YES! I am the Lord's servant; So be it unto me as You have said!"...and will we allow, hunger and yearn for the Holy Spirit to come upon us anew and the power of the Most High to overshadow us so that He can give birth through us to a new and redeemed future for the world we live in?
One final thought: one translation of II Corinthians 5:17 says, "if anyone is in union with Christ a NEW WORLD HAS BEGUN! The old things have passed away and the new has come!" May your year, may our time, see 2014 as a pivotal year in God's plan and purpose for each of us, our families, our neighborhoods, our cities, our nations; for small keys can open large doors. May this be the Year of the Open Door to the glory of God the great Three in One! Amen.
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