June 2004

Press On!

Of all the Israelites, perhaps no one strove harder to please God than Saul of Tarsus. Every area of his life conformed strictly to the Law. No one could accuse this respected Pharisee of lacking zeal. He was a man with a mission-a mission to please and serve God.

But on the road to Damascus, Saul's life changed entirely. From now on, he would no longer try to please God himself. Instead, he would press on with the goal of knowing Christ. "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord." Philippians 3:8 (NIV emphasis added). Saul (now called Paul) had a new mission-a mission that remained constant amid ever-changing circumstances. It didn't matter whether he was preaching to a crowd or sitting in a damp prison. Paul now had one goal before which everything in his life bowed. Paul wanted to know his Lord.

How about you? Is knowing Christ--fellowshipping, trusting, and depending on Him-the goal toward which you're striving? Ask God to help you press on to know Him today.

Running To?

Peter had been running for hours now. Every muscle in his body ached, and each breath came with effort. Yet Peter would not pause. He must keep running.

Mile after mile passed. The sun reached its zenith and shone mercilessly down on Peter's back. His parched throat stung like fire. Still Peter kept running and running and running and

"Peter, is that you?" Peter's friend James called from a few yards away.

"Uh-huh," Peter panted without slowing his pace.

"Well hang on a minute! I need to ask you something!" James shouted. "Where are you running?" he inquired as he caught up with his friend.

The question brought Peter to a sudden halt. Where was he running? He had been running so hard for so long that now he couldn't seem to remember where he was headed. All he could remember was that he had to run.

"Your father has been expecting you for hours now," James gently reminded him.

His father! Now Peter remembered. He had started out that morning running toward his father. At first, he had raced toward this goal with all his heart. But then what had happened?

James seemed to read his thoughts. "You started running in circles, Peter. If you look over there, you can see the building where you started from this morning."

Peter groaned. He had made next to no progress all day! Although he had pushed himself to his max, all his efforts had all been in vain. He had been running aimlessly.

James placed a compassionate hand on Peter's shoulder. "Take heart. It's not too late. Start running again. Only this time, remember to run toward your father."

Summer Opportunity

At last you've finished school! Your job for the year has finally come to an end. You sit back and look forward to a summer off

Freeze that thinking. You have a full time job that doesn't include time off during the summer. You are a full-time, year-round mother. Like it or not, motherhood doesn't end with the school year. It continues throughout the summer, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

This summer, remember that you have a job and strive to do your job as unto the Lord. Although what you do daily might change from school year to summertime, your position and influence as a mother will not. Instead of "off", think "opportunity."

Amazed in His Presence