Maintaining a spiritual focus has allowed my strength to endure and overcome trails and tribulations. I invite you to meditate on the thought of the month provided by:

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell
The Word Made Truth Ministry
76 Livingston Street
Asheville, North Carolina 28801

(828) 279-8562

Rev. Wayne and Andrea Purcell also have a prison ministry. Please feel free to ask questions pertaining to the thought of the month.

PRESSING ON!

Philippians 3:13-15 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

In this human existence we experience many challenges, hurdles, and obstacles. Many times we allow our past mistakes to keep us in bondage, reminding ourselves constantly of our past failures. If we would only take the time to reflect on the God that has brought us through every storm that we have encountered, we would look back with praise instead of despair. Every child of God should know that our Father is able to make our seemingly failures stepping stones to brighter and more fruitful tomorrows. However, every good works begins with a right mind and attitude. Philippians 3:13-15 reminds us that many times it is good to forget, we must be about reaching, and it is a necessity to press.

Forget – Isn’t it amazing how much time we focus on the things we and others have done wrong. After you and I have confessed our sins and asked for forgiveness, we are to believe that God is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. In other words, God is prep aring to use our pain for gain in the Kingdom of God . Remember how Peter denied Jesus as predicted 3 times before the cock crowed. Peter could have stayed in the state of focusing on his past failure and missed the blessing of God’s “forgiving grace” and the mighty work God had planned through him for the up-building of God’s kingdom.

Reaching - How often do we set our goals and aspirations in connection to what we think our abilities are? If we want God to be involved we must dream large enough to where it takes a God that specializes in impossible situations for our dreams to be accomplished. Only when we move in the realm of the spiritual will God touch our plans. I’m reminded of the woman with the issue of blood who had suffered 12 long painful years. Because she was willing to reach outside of her comfort zone, she received a miracle healing. Had she not reached, she would have died with her affliction. Every day, people are dying because they refuse to reach. It’s time to face the fact that nothing will change until we reach far beyond what family, society, others, and even we ourselves expect of us.

Pressing- Pressing requires a focus on a great outcome and prize. Pressing encompasses looking pass and over all that keeps pulling you down. If we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord, Savior and Redeemer, we know that we have overcome just as Jesus overcame. So if we know that we have overcome, what in the world is stopping us from doing “Kingdom Work” (doing the work that Jesus would be doing if he was phy sically present) in spite of our perceived weaknesses and limitations? We need to press on like our great ancestors, such as, Harriett Tubman and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let us press from this day forward with renewed vigor and inspiration knowing that God has started a great work in us and God will complete what he has started.

Let us pray:

Most Merciful God, we are so thankful that you remind us daily the necessity of “pressing on.” Help us to remember the grand example that you set for us that in spite of persecution and pain, you remained focus on reconciling us back to God. Help us to know that you will never leave or forsake us. Bless us with the ability to be over comers in all that we experience in this world for the up-building of Your kingdom. Most of all remind us of the great promise you gave in Jude, that you will keep us from falling and present us faultless before the presence of your glory with exceeding joy. Amen.