Continue to Continue!

How did everyone’s weekend go?  I looked at a couple of houses on different ends of town and was actually encouraged by what I saw.  Although there were a couple of red flags with each of these particular houses, it gave me a positive hope that the right one in the right location at the right price is just waiting out there for me to find!  I’m planning to hook up with my new realtor from the church that I’ve been attending and then begin the search in earnest this week.


And talking about searching in earnest… I noticed this morning while sitting out on the balcony and praying the two Ephesian prayers located in Ephesians 1:17-23 and Ephesians 3:16-21, that I kept inserting the word “continue” into my personalized confession of this portion of God’s Word.  Ephesians 3:19 took on a special significance as I prayed that “I would continue to grow in my intimate, experiential and personal knowing of Christ’s love, which takes me way beyond any natural knowledge or understanding, so that I may be completely filled with God.” (God’s Word © personalized)  That’s the kind of love that I want… and NEED to know in this daily changing - everything new - period of my life!


Our Pastor shared yesterday about Jonah and how he actually moved in the opposite direction that God had requested him to go.  His point was that as believers we are not only called to be “movers” but to move in the right direction!  This brought back many memories of Piper’s and my personal experiences during the last eight years of her earthly existence.  We quickly discovered that in order to be following the path that helped us the most during this battle, that we needed to continue moving along the road that He and His Word continually unfolded before us.


In my personal experience, I’ve realized that if I ever stopped moving forward along with Him, that I would actually begin going backwards… as everyone else would pass me by and leave me sitting in their dust!  Ephesians 1:12 tells us that “He planned all of this (to bring all of our history to its goal in Christ – Verse 1:10) so that we who had already focused our hope on Christ would praise him and give him glory.”  I wrote in my note book on Saturday as I read that verse that “I can’t imagine living even one day of my life without the hope and personal expectations of the gospel of Jesus Christ working in, through and for my life.”


That personal hope and expectation forces me to continue - continuing on with and for Him!  I had another inspiration in my moments of serenity on the balcony this morning where it hit me that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8 God’s Word ©)  He was the same in my past with Piper, He is the same with me today, and He will continue to be the same with me and with whatever or whoever in my future.  He doesn’t change… so why should I!  I will continue to do what has worked concerning my faith for us in the past for what He has planned for me in my present and future. (See: Ephesians 1:8-11)


Does that make sense to you?  If so… what are you planning to continue to do in your faith life for your present and future?


Have a great new week, and as you do, say along with me… “I am expecting to continue to exercise and grow my faith in my present and future… just as I have done in my past!”