Looking Ahead

Hymnist Frances Ridley Havergal took New Year’s Day very seriously. She used it as a time of reflection and she often composed a poem to send to friends expressing her feelings about the new day and year. This is one she wrote in 1874. “Another year is dawning, dear Father let it be; in working or in waiting, another year with Thee. Another year of progress, another year of praise; another year of proving, Thy presence all the days.” Looking ahead can be scary but it doesn't have to be. With the Lord by our side it can actually be thrilling.

3) Collectively looking ahead.

One of the things that can make looking ahead less scary is when you know you're not alone. Yes, we need to look ahead and move forward in our individual walk but we are also to look ahead and move forward collectively as a church. In fact, one of the motivators for us to keep it moving is to know we are part of a team and we dedicate ourselves to the collective cause.

We as a church need to be looking ahead. As I stated a few months ago, Cornerstone Church celebrated its silver anniversary. Our church has a rich history. We've had triumphs and we've had setbacks. We've gone through changes; some were welcomed some were unwelcomed but we have never not been willing to face them. We are far from finished; our journey is far from over! So we need to press on as we have been doing. In looking ahead we are committed to take on new challenges and look for new opportunities to reach new heights. We look ahead with zeal, fervor and an eager determination to see what can be accomplished.

We need to be like the locust. In the book of Joel, it describes the coming of an army of locusts. Although this was not going to be a good thing for the land and its inhabitants, their tenacity and resilience are something we need to try to emulate. Joel 2:7-8, "They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. They all march in line, not swerving from their course. They do not jostle each other; each marches straight ahead. They plunge through defenses without breaking ranks."

What imagery this conjures up. The picture of unified forces; strength in numbers. These creatures were not going to be denied; they were not going to allow anything to stand in their way. Could this be accomplished by going rogue? No; only by marching in line, by not swerving from their course.

And notice they are working in sync. They're not jostling each other; they're not pushing and shoving, they're not jockeying for position. What are they doing instead? They are marching straight ahead. They march together so that they can plunge through defenses together. They don't break ranks they break defenses.

We have an enemy that wants nothing more than to stand in our way. We as a church need to plow him over. We need to charge like warriors; we need to scale the walls of opposition like soldiers (because that's what we are).

I am a soldier of the Army of God. I've been stationed here at camp Cornerstone. I've been asked to lead you into battle. Follow me as I follow my commanding officer, Jesus Christ. Together, arm in arm, we will march into 2017 with our game faces on and our hearts full of spiritual fire. We will fight the enemy, we will defeat the enemy and we will accomplish our mission. This year, let's be poised to look ahead and move forward.