AROUND THE NEXT CORNER
In the new testament Paul says and I would like for us to focus on these verses today:
Philippians 3:7-14
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not 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. 13 Brothers, 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
A number of years ago I used to run 3 miles a day. With stress fractures, a touch of arthritis, bursitis, knee problems, getting older and such those days are probably gone forever.
This morning as I was thinking about the verse in Philippians, y mind went back to a poem that came to me as I was running one day way back when—
As I remember the day, it was very windy and as long as I was running south, west or east was not that strong but the instant I turned the corner to run in a northerly direction that noreaster took me by surprise and I barely had the strength to run against it and in fact thought I would have to give up and walk—Almost as soon as this thought came to me of giving up, I looked up and saw a big curve in the path and a big cedar tree which blocked my view of what was up ahead and this is what came to me at that moment:
If I knew around the next corner
Your blessed face I would see
How fast I could run against the wind
To catch a glimpse of Thee.
If I knew across the next ocean
Waves of love would soon enfold me
How strong I could swim against the tide
To be held so close to Thee.
If I knew across the next mountain,
Your faithfulness awaited me,
How sure my feet on slippery slopes
To be kept for eternity,
If I knew across the line
They called finish,
A crown of righteousness would be presented to me
How I would press on and not give up,
To place it at the feet of Thee.
Needless to say, after the Holy Spirit brought these thoughts to my mind, I ran a little faster and a little swifter.
As I thought back over this poem today, I realized that what I was really doing was longing for the appearance of Jesus. I longed for his face, I longed for his arms of love, I longed for his faithfulness and for His Words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
In 2Timothy 4:8 we read these words:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Prayer for today
Father, today would you reveal yourself to us through your son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one. I do what I see the Father doing.” We know that your son healed blind eyes so they could see, gave restoration to crippled limbs so they could serve, gave forgiveness to sinful hearts so they could have life everlasting.
Today we pray for healing for our bodies, Lord, but most of all we pray for healing for our sin sick hearts and attitudes—hearts that rebel at times to our given situations. We offer our attitudes, hearts, and minds to You. Renew us, give us Your heart, Your attitude, and Your mind. Minister to each one of us in a most intimate and unique way—minister to our specific needs Dear Father.
We know that you are the Giver of every good and perfect gift and so today we ask for wisdom and we ask for faith. We act upon our faith to tell You that we believe your son, Jesus Christ is the only way to You and we ask to know You more intimately. We ask for eternal life and we know that in the book of John you said:
“ Now this is eternal life : that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Father, we turn from our ways of faithlessness asking You to forgive us and make us whole. We long for You to show up in our lives, to appear around the next corner, to make yourself known to us in a most real way. Give us eyes to see you because our faith tells us that You really are here with us. We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In the new testament Paul says and I would like for us to focus on these verses today:
Philippians 3:7-14
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not 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. 13 Brothers, 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
A number of years ago I used to run 3 miles a day. With stress fractures, a touch of arthritis, bursitis, knee problems, getting older and such those days are probably gone forever.
This morning as I was thinking about the verse in Philippians, y mind went back to a poem that came to me as I was running one day way back when—
As I remember the day, it was very windy and as long as I was running south, west or east was not that strong but the instant I turned the corner to run in a northerly direction that noreaster took me by surprise and I barely had the strength to run against it and in fact thought I would have to give up and walk—Almost as soon as this thought came to me of giving up, I looked up and saw a big curve in the path and a big cedar tree which blocked my view of what was up ahead and this is what came to me at that moment:
If I knew around the next corner
Your blessed face I would see
How fast I could run against the wind
To catch a glimpse of Thee.
If I knew across the next ocean
Waves of love would soon enfold me
How strong I could swim against the tide
To be held so close to Thee.
If I knew across the next mountain,
Your faithfulness awaited me,
How sure my feet on slippery slopes
To be kept for eternity,
If I knew across the line
They called finish,
A crown of righteousness would be presented to me
How I would press on and not give up,
To place it at the feet of Thee.
Needless to say, after the Holy Spirit brought these thoughts to my mind, I ran a little faster and a little swifter.
As I thought back over this poem today, I realized that what I was really doing was longing for the appearance of Jesus. I longed for his face, I longed for his arms of love, I longed for his faithfulness and for His Words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
In 2Timothy 4:8 we read these words:
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Prayer for today
Father, today would you reveal yourself to us through your son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one. I do what I see the Father doing.” We know that your son healed blind eyes so they could see, gave restoration to crippled limbs so they could serve, gave forgiveness to sinful hearts so they could have life everlasting.
Today we pray for healing for our bodies, Lord, but most of all we pray for healing for our sin sick hearts and attitudes—hearts that rebel at times to our given situations. We offer our attitudes, hearts, and minds to You. Renew us, give us Your heart, Your attitude, and Your mind. Minister to each one of us in a most intimate and unique way—minister to our specific needs Dear Father.
We know that you are the Giver of every good and perfect gift and so today we ask for wisdom and we ask for faith. We act upon our faith to tell You that we believe your son, Jesus Christ is the only way to You and we ask to know You more intimately. We ask for eternal life and we know that in the book of John you said:
“ Now this is eternal life : that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Father, we turn from our ways of faithlessness asking You to forgive us and make us whole. We long for You to show up in our lives, to appear around the next corner, to make yourself known to us in a most real way. Give us eyes to see you because our faith tells us that You really are here with us. We pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
