Daily Devotional: Thursday, April 1

Speaker: Ben Sigman

Theme: Failing Forward

Weekend Music links on iTunes: Salvation is Here by Hillsong United; Hosanna by Paul Baloche; Cannons by Phil Wickham; Lead Me to the Cross by Hillsong United.

Read: Philippians 3:12-14; Psalm 103:12

Bible Challenge: Luke 11 

Think: As Pastor Ben talked about the idea of failing forward it got me thinking about God's forgiveness and how it is focused forward...

As we recall the times we've failed ourselves or the people we care about, the part that hurts the worst is that at the same time we have failed the Lord, too. I know the One I want to disappoint the least is my Heavenly Father.

When we see the character of God through the Bible we get to know Him, we see that He is the Perfect Father - our true Abba Father (Daddy!). And as such, He loves us in spite of our failings. His goal is to keep moving us forward to spiritual maturity - to the place where we become more and more a reflection of Him... But until that process is complete, He travels alongside us, guiding and forgiving us when we need it. The Apostle Paul captures the attitude and mindset we are to have in his letter to the Philippian Church:

"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. 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

So often we look back with regret on things we shouldn't have done, the sin and difficulty we've caused. But sin is one thing we should never need to look back on with feelings of failure IF we have confessed our sins and asked God's forgiveness. When we do so, He promises to take that sin and remove it "as far as the east is from the west"! Our job is to keep a forward focus toward the goal of pleasing Christ!

Do: Follow the words of Paul - press on with everything you have in pursuit of God!

Pray: God, I get swallowed up sometimes in regret over the past. Help me to know that once I've confessed my sin to You, Your Word says you remove it from me! Thank you! Father, help me to continue to press on toward the goal - becoming like You! Amen. 

The eDevotional is written each week by a team of volunteers from Timberlake Church.

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