Looking Forward: The Lord's Theme

[HKHaugan]

Looking Forward Theme

If someone asked me to describe the single most important desire of God for His people I would say “Look Forward.” Be a looking forward people. Be alert. Be ready. Be transformed from a mind that puts self first to a mind that is geared to looking forward like God looks forward, a heart that has a 'looking forward' attitude and a spirit that is actively in a 'can't-wait-to-get-going' mode. The very first words of the Bible, “In the beginning...”, make up a phrase that indicates something happens and continues after it starts. God started something when He created. Creation itself is the anticipation of its future. The first two chapters of Genesis explode with future purpose.

The continuing vocabulary in the Bible from beginning to end is like a train on a track heading somewhere. Take the word 'will.' The future verb 'will (shall)' is central. The noun as in 'God's will' is future looking. The adverb 'willing' is just as anticipatory. In Isaiah 62's twelve verses the verb appears 18 times. Throughout the Bible it is used several thousand times. God's will is to be willing to follow His will with all our will so that what He willed becomes our will, if you are willing to see what I mean. It's an 'every-next-moment', event, occasion, circumstance waiting for God's will to unfold spiritually, personally and relationally in every person's living experience.

Of course the train's destination is clearly stated, the engineer is clearly named and the trip is clearly defined. It is a non-resting Father with a non-resting Son and a non-resting Spirit. Their life, their eternity, their relationship is on the move. Their nature is faith, love, hope, the fuel supply that never ends. Nothing is stationary. No matter where you open the Scripture's pages you simply can't stand still. There is always a sense of being pushed forward from where you are to something new and unique. Life in God is always anticipating an opportunity to be something unique He will accomplish through us in every next moment.

But, there is a retardant, an individual trying to put the brakes on Creation, with a force that seeks to derail the forward movement. It's the devil and his sin. He is on a mission. He tries to remove the rails, weaken the bridges and disrupt the signal system's warning ability. His plan is to separate the workers from the engineer and then from each other. His strategy is rebellion. He is consumed with himself. His modus operandi is temptation. His personnel comprise a 'looking backward' set of spirits that freezes forward action: fear, pride, lust, greed, anger, envy, jealousy, depression, hate, deceit, manipulation, anxiety and malice. The devil is out to make us blind to spiritual opportunity, to cripple us when we attempt to exercise our faith and to dull our spiritual hearing and seeing.

The key to action is faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus who lives in the heart. Faith in Jesus who is the perfect faith Person. Seen in Jesus, faith is an action word. Faith overcomes fear. Faith cures. Faith heals. Faith cancels the power of sin. Faith is the forward looking word the Holy Spirit empowers to discern the obstacles that lie ahead, apply its lubricating quality and keep us moving. The vehicle for faith is our belief and trust in His presence as we come to every next moment, event, circumstance and occasion. See what the Lord tells Isaiah (Ch.65:17-19) about Jerusalem, the community of faith we call the Body of Christ. Notice His use of the verb 'will' and the personal tone embedded for His people of faith. His promise is how we meet the unknown, the uncertainty and content in every next moment.

“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.”