The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe
"The Upward Path"
When choosing to live with an eternal rather than temporal perspective, what will we do differently?
"We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (II Corinthians 4:18).
Some changes of focus may, of course, be obvious. "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes" (Psalm 101:3). Others, however, may not. Our calling therefore involves seeking the leadership and enabling of our Heavenly Father to direct our gaze toward Him through the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, fellow believers, and His personal working in our hearts and minds.
"When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13).
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105).
"I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end ye may be established, that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of you and me" (Romans 1:11-12).
"The very hairs of your head are all numbered" (Matthew 10:30).
Our Heavenly Father realizes that we live in a realm full of distractions that beckon us to live as if time matters more than eternity. Thus, He makes Himself available to us for the power to set our hearts upon forever, to guide our minds to view the temporal in the light of the eternal, and to walk with feet that tread the earth while also traversing an upward path to Heavenly glory.
"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go. I will guide thee with Mine eye" (Psalm 32:8).
In the light of such assurance, we look to our Lord for the grace to… look to our Lord. We humble ourselves and trust Him, acknowledging that we bear no inherent strength for a fixed gaze on Him and "the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Ephesians 3:11). More importantly, we trust our Heavenly Father's faithful imparting of strength to instruct and teach us in the way, and guide us with His eye. He leads us to avail ourselves of the aforementioned gifts of guidance, and while no perfect affixing of our eternal gaze occurs in this present lifetime, we can grow in consistency. "This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment" (Philippians 1:9).
How will our Lord lead us in this day to join the prophet in his affirmation, "I will look for Him"? (Isaiah 8:17). We do not know the details. We do, however, know the devotion in God's heart toward us as we seek His guidance and His shining of eternal light upon temporal paths. He will not fail us, and when this day ends, we will know that it was not merely a day, but rather a walk upon the upward path that glimmered with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
"The path of the just is as the shining light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
(Proverbs 4:18)
Weekly Memory Verse
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
(Matthew 9:10)
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