Day Dreams

Two times, last week, while driving down the familiar streets of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, I found myself day dreaming and missed the turn to my daughter’s home.  In my mind’s eye I was blissfully unaware of current events and was simply driving home to the place where we last lived over two years ago while I attended Bible School. Isn’t it funny how easy it can be to seemingly slip right back into where we used to be… Or is it?

I got to thinking about this as I was meditating on Colossians 1:13 today.  In this passage Paul writes that “God has rescued us from the power of darkness and has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves.” (Gods Word ©)  He is telling us that we have been taken away from our old way of life, and placed into an entirely new realm.  The part of the verse that caught my attention was the phrase that the Gods Word translation relates as “brought us into…”  To me this did not sound as strong a rendition as the King James’ “and hath translated us into…”  According to Thayer’s and Strong’s, the word “translated” in the Greek means “to remove from one place to another, to depart from (this) life or to seduce.”

As I went further into the definition of “seduce,” I saw the strength of the truth that Paul was trying to convey to his readers.  While normally observed as a negative happening, the power of this thought explodes when we relate it to our transition from the power of darkness into the absolute beauty of the kingdom of light.  According to Webster, “seduce” means to “draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty in any manner”  “Rectitude” is further defined as “the exact conformity to the truth, rules, conduct and the law prescribed” for our conduct.  Therefore you could say we were “seduced” away from the powers of darkness through the vision and truth of the beauty, power, and freeing kingdom life that is only to be found in the Good News of Jesus Christ!

Think about that for a moment.  In relation to this direction of thought, I could say that my wife’s wonderful, joyful personality, beauty (freckles and all!) and wholesomeness of her heart “seduced” me away from my current direction of life at the time, into the new course (that I am sure was clearly orchestrated by the Lord’s divine will for both of us) that we are still walking in today.  It was an action that totally changed my entire perspective on life in a matter of months!

Would I ever want to go back to my former way of living?  Not on your life!  Could I ever go back to my former way of life even if I wanted to?  No, because things would never be the same.  The years of my life’s experiences have molded me into a different individual.  I now know more, think on a higher plane (since being saved, attending Bible school, choosing the vocation of a pastor, being married, raising a family etc;), and I just look at life with a lot more complexity than I did 41 years ago.

Paul used strong words to explain our move from one kingdom and power to another.  He made it clear that we could never go back and be satisfied with that old lifestyle again.  The same is true with each of us in our current lives.  Sometimes we think it would be terrific if we could go back to the way things used to be.  Believe me, I had some of those same thoughts run through my mind when we were back in Oklahoma. (Then, I stepped outside into the hot, humid weather!!!)  Not only did I consider thoughts of the good times we had back there but also the realization that my relationship with my daughter would never be quite the same as it used to be.  For she is now married and joyfully and expectantly following the vision she and Jeremiah believe God has given them to pursue.

So, do I give in to self pity, or choose to rejoice at the Great Expectations that God has for my future that He has hand crafted just for me?  Once again… It’s a no-brainer!  I expectantly continue to look ahead, and so should you!  Remember, God looked back at what He had created in Genesis 1:31 and said that it was “very good!” (Gods Word ©)  Nothing has changed since that time.  What He has made for you today and tomorrow is still “very good!”  Therefore, let go of the past and forge on into the wonderful life that our loving Heavenly Father has planned just for you.  Don’t get caught in a daydream and miss the turn to God’s best laid plans for your life!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What GREAT things am I expecting today?”