The stronghold of yesterday, the dissatisfaction of today and the idolatry of tomorrow. Three mindsets that the enemy uses to keep us bound. The Israelites have always been a fascinating sociology study for me because they truly are a picture of exactly how mankind thinks and acts. The Israelites were bound by memories of yesterday, a total dissatisfaction in today and an idolatrous hope for tomorrow. I’m quick to look at them and judge harshly. “What’s wrong with these people? God has just delivered them from slavery, made them extremely wealthy in the process and is guiding them through the wilderness to a land He has promised them and yet they are still questioning His goodness! Hello??” Then, that plank in my eye starts to make it very hard to look at them any longer and I have to focus on myself. I am startled - this is me!
The stronghold of yesterday.
At one point in the wilderness when the Lord had already told the Israelites where they were going, provided manna for them and been their pillar of guidance they decided that they didn’t have it so bad in Egypt. At first glance it would seem as we read that the concept of slavery being better than freedom is absurd! However, it doesn’t take much for us to forget the negative details of a situation. Take for instance, childbirth. The pain is pretty intense and most women would say that it rivals any other pain they have ever experienced. Ask that same women two or three years later and it might not have been so bad. Twenty years later, no big deal. Why? Because they survived and because the beauty of time is that it makes our memories less and less clear. I’m truly convinced this is why women have more than one child to begin with although there are women who just love childbirth...you have my respect!
Isn’t this just a picture of us? We look at yesterday and long for things to be the way they used to be? It doesn’t take much for us to reminisce of days gone by, happier times of “remember when”. Then, before we know it, we are trying to recreate yesterday, today. We are held captive by yesterday, even when yesterday we were in slavery. But God has said in Isaiah 43:18-19,"Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a NEW thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” God is all about doing something new in our lives. Not just new but different for the purpose of His glory. God is never satisfied with standing still. Sanctification is a progression of being set apart. Our spiritual growth is just that: growth, a walk, a race, endurance. We have to let go of the yesterday and move on to what God calls us to today.
Dissatisfaction in today.
This is the hinge that causes us to swing back into yesterday or forward into tomorrow. Today. Sometimes, like if we are on vacation, we are content in today. Sometimes, like when we are sick, we are not content in today. When things FEEL right for us, we are in. But when things don’t FEEL right for us, then we are ready to move on. We are addicted to good feelings. I’m guilty. I don’t run yippy-skippy into a hard day. There are days when I look forward to the sun going down just so I can get in the bed and start over tomorrow. The problem is I waste a lot of todays searching for perfection and being overwhelmed with tasks. Then, I get distracted.
Can anyone relate? Distracted with all I have to do, distracted with what I don’t have time to do, what I didn’t get done yesterday and what has to be done tomorrow. Distracted with problems that might happen or have already happened, distracted with technology, distracted with other people, just distracted! Distraction causes us to lose focus and when we lose focus we lose effectiveness. Do you see it? Do you see how Satan uses feelings and distractions to keep us tied up for today? Instead, God means for us to be busy about what He has given us to do, today. Think of all of the people in scripture whose lives were impacted because they were busy about the task at hand. Abraham. Moses. David. The shepherds. These men saw the glory of God not because they were looking back into yesterday or daydreaming about tomorrow. They were focused on today. So many times in scripture there is a call for us to do what we are going to do, now! Jesus said, “Repent [today]! For the kingdom of God is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). It says in Hebrews 3:7-8, “Today, if you hear my voice do not harden your hearts.” Today, today, today. Whatever the Lord has urged you to do in His word, don’t wait, do it today!
The idolatry of tomorrow.
This is such a big one for me. I’m a typical girl, I like to dream about things. I like to make plans and have goals. I don’t work well unless I am working toward something. The problem is I am usually working toward something that is of earthly value instead of eternal value. The weekend, vacations, the holidays, special events, shopping etc; I find this to be true for many women that I know. We have set our focus on one thing and we are fixated on this coming to fruition in our lives. For some it might be a relationship, for others it might be marriage or children, healing or a job. It has been all of these for me at one point or another in my life. I develop the mindset of “the sun will come out tomorrow!” When I get this job, when I finally get married, when I am over this illness THEN I can get on with what the Lord has for me. Do you know what that is? Idolatry. Satan loves to take these “good” things and replace God with them in our lives. We are placing our hope in the thing and not the Lord. We are waiting on the thing and not the Lord. We are looking for something to fill us that was never meant to and now we are beginning to worship that one thing as the answer to all of our problems. I love how Isaiah 44:20 says it, “She feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has led her astray; she cannot save herself or say ‘is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’”
Do you see that? We are eating ashes and holding onto a lie when we idolize tomorrow. God means for us to feast on the banquet of Jesus today and hold fast to His word today! There is always going to be something lacking in our lives. If there was not a lack then we would not need the Lord. You see, if God gives us health, wealth, many well-behaved children, and a wonderful marriage but doesn’t give us Himself then He isn’t good! The question is would we be satisfied with all of those things without Him? So, my encouragement for you is this: give yesterday to the Lord, He is there. Give tomorrow to the Lord, He is there too. Then, focus on the word of the Lord and consecrate yourselves for today you have been ordained for the service of the Lord!
Very well written and much needed! I personally tend to live in the past when the yesterdays went bad. I find that I won't rise above yesterday and look forward and I then isolate myself from the Lord because of guilt. I won't go to church if it's been a bad week or reach out to my sister's in Christ. Exactly what the enemy wants like you posted in your May 3 blog. I also find myself complaining about a day I feel has been unprofitable or wasted-feeling empty because the day didn't go like I would have liked! The Lord certainly is with us even if it's a day spent doing nothing other than discipling your children and seeing absoulutely no benefit to the efforts! I quickly forget God's promises and often let the enemy deceive me into to thinking "is all this worth it??". I mostly find myself living for tomorrow in the hopes of a better FEELING! Like you said, "The sun will come out tomorrow".
ReplyDeleteI so look forward to reading these! Thank you for taking the time to write them:-)