Devotion: Look to the Future

“What you know today can affect what you do tomorrow. But what you know today cannot affect what you did yesterday.” ~Condoleezza Rice

I became a mother thirteen years ago. My first kid was a bit of a guinea pig. I tried several parenting strategies on her. Time-outs, counting to three, swift discipline, positive reinforcement—you name it, I tried it. As we enter the teen years, I see the fruit of my multiple-personality parenting. She and I sometimes go round and round, each of us trying strategies that worked on the other at some time in our history.

I am a different parent today. My youngest is in the middle of the tormenting threes. He tries a few strategies to circumvent my parenting, but I’m wise to his game. My years of trial-and-error with his big sisters taught me what works. I stick with what I know works, resulting in much less frustration for us both.

I often wonder if my daughter’s teenage years would be easier if I knew then what I know now. Would I have less to correct had I been more consistent in the early years? I am tempted to beat myself up for my early parenting failures. Instead, I use these reflective moments to strengthen my resolve for consistency in the hard work of parenting today.

We constantly build on past knowledge. What we learn today starts with what we know from yesterday. We add tomorrow’s knowledge to today’s lessons. We will never know it all. The point is to keep moving forward.

This principle holds true for our spiritual lives too. In the beginning stages of our journey, we don’t fully comprehend all of God’s Word. He doesn’t hold us responsible for keeping commands we do not know or understand. However, he does ask us to learn more about him each day.

With this newfound knowledge, we journey into tomorrow with a better understanding of how to live a life that pleases God. He is not a harsh Father expecting perfection from his followers. Instead, he is kind and gracious with us as we engage in the process of knowing and loving him better. The point is to develop deeper intimacy with our Father in heaven.

This process of knowing God better often reveals our flaws. As we hear his Word, we may recall past mistakes. God doesn’t expect our past to line up with his word. That is why he sent Jesus to reconcile our sinful past with the perfection of his law.

While God doesn’t hold our past against us, he does ask us to live by what we know. A new biblical truth discovered today should cause us to live differently tomorrow. When we read “show kindness and mercy to one another” (Zech. 7:9 ESV), we respond with acts of kindness. Jesus’s words about loving your enemies (Matt. 5:44) should change the way we respond to opposition.

We build intimacy with God as we spend time with him each day. Friends, you are not responsible for what you didn’t know yesterday. Thanks to Jesus, our pasts are covered. However, our tomorrows should be shaped by what we learn from God’s Word today.

Jesus, we thank you for taking the weight of our sin as you hung on the cross. While we cannot repay you for the love you showed us, we can commit to living according to your Word. Teach us how to live as we spend time with you. May our tomorrows reflect the lessons you teach us today. Amen.

Scriptures for Reflection

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Phil. 3:12-14 NLT)

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourself.” (James 1:22 ESV)

“Tech me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.” (Ps. 119:33-34 ESV)

Reach for More

We build biblical literacy by reading God’s Word daily. Even five minutes spent reading and meditating on Scripture increases our understanding of God and his Word. This week, commit to reading the Bible each day. Jot down something new you learn or an action to take in response to what you read. Then do it.

If something you read brings up shame from your past, ask God to forgive you for it. Allow his mercy and grace to cover your past as you walk with him in your present.

Come back and share how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man. They have three children. In the quiet minutes of her day, you will find her at the keyboard or curled up with a book–always with coffee. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.

Photograph © Josh Applegate, used with permission