I find it interesting how we can look at the past through rose-colored glasses. Remember the children of Israel? They had been delivered from the tyranny and bondage of Egypt, where for years they had languished in slavery. In their deep distress they cried out to God for deliverance, and the Lord answered their prayers through a man named Moses.
As they made their way through the wilderness, God supernaturally fed them with an incredible bread-like substance called manna. Manna literally means, “What is it?” They had it daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But after a while, they got tired of it. They basically said, “We are sick of manna. We remember the good old days back in Egypt, where we ate garlic, leeks, and onions” (see Numbers 11:5).
They spoke of the good old days in Egypt, but as slaves they basically ate table scraps. They barely scraped out a miserable existence. Yet in their imaginations, they magnified these scraps into some sumptuous feast they had each and every day. Don’t build up the past in your mind. Remember it for what it was. Don’t allow the enemy to pull you down by fantasizing about it. Protect your mind, and don’t look back. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 9:62, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (NKJV). These words contain an implied promise that ought to challenge us to the core. The Lord is telling us: If you do not move forward for My glory, then you will not be fit for My kingdom. But if you move forward, then you will have an honored place at My table . . . forever.
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What To Do When the Bottom Drops Out
In a time of great agony, David cried out to God. Ever had an occasion when all you could do was cry out to the Lord? Friday on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us examine David’s time of crisis, and what we can learn for our next crisis.