"The light which experience gives is a lantern on the stern, which shines only on the waves behind us." ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 ESV
In my line of work, I spend a lot of time going over the last month's numbers. It is an area that we look at not to focus on what we did wrong so much as to see what things we can do better for the coming days, weeks, and months. The review of these numbers is a teaching tool for everyone in my business. We take the time to study our experiences from the last month so we know not to repeat certain parts of them that may have caused us to slip and fall or even fail. The numbers in the past often times will tell the story of success or failure. It is all in how you shine the light on them that you gain the knowledge needed to move forward.
When I read the verses from Joshua chapter 1, I suspect the courage and insights that Joshua gained standing alongside of Moses proved to be an invaluable experience for him when he was called out by God to lead the Israelite people after Moses. He had seen the experiences of Israel in the forty years of wandering through the wilderness. And I am sure that he benefited from the boundless areas of research and experience not only for the knowledge that he would need but also for the confidence and courage he would have to summon as he focused on the task that God had given him.
This is so true in our own lives today. It is like Samuel Taylor Coleridge says in the quote above, "The light on the stern" that shines behind us is not to remind us where we have been but to cast light on the experience so that we can learn and grow from them. Our experiences give us a point of reference from which you and I can learn and grow. At times these things may feel like they are weighing us down, dragging us to a screeching halt with regret and guilt, but trust me when I tell you that these things will give you great opportunities for growth and even ministry if we only use them like a tool in our spiritual tool box. Just like with Joshua, these things are invaluable resources from which you and I can draw confidence and courage for the tasks that God gives us.
Don't allow yourself to dwell on your past but don't be scared to go back and examine it either. Looking back from the top of the mountain into the dark valley behind can often times be the best way to shine the light on the path that lays ahead.
“Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:6-9 ESV
In my line of work, I spend a lot of time going over the last month's numbers. It is an area that we look at not to focus on what we did wrong so much as to see what things we can do better for the coming days, weeks, and months. The review of these numbers is a teaching tool for everyone in my business. We take the time to study our experiences from the last month so we know not to repeat certain parts of them that may have caused us to slip and fall or even fail. The numbers in the past often times will tell the story of success or failure. It is all in how you shine the light on them that you gain the knowledge needed to move forward.
When I read the verses from Joshua chapter 1, I suspect the courage and insights that Joshua gained standing alongside of Moses proved to be an invaluable experience for him when he was called out by God to lead the Israelite people after Moses. He had seen the experiences of Israel in the forty years of wandering through the wilderness. And I am sure that he benefited from the boundless areas of research and experience not only for the knowledge that he would need but also for the confidence and courage he would have to summon as he focused on the task that God had given him.
This is so true in our own lives today. It is like Samuel Taylor Coleridge says in the quote above, "The light on the stern" that shines behind us is not to remind us where we have been but to cast light on the experience so that we can learn and grow from them. Our experiences give us a point of reference from which you and I can learn and grow. At times these things may feel like they are weighing us down, dragging us to a screeching halt with regret and guilt, but trust me when I tell you that these things will give you great opportunities for growth and even ministry if we only use them like a tool in our spiritual tool box. Just like with Joshua, these things are invaluable resources from which you and I can draw confidence and courage for the tasks that God gives us.
Don't allow yourself to dwell on your past but don't be scared to go back and examine it either. Looking back from the top of the mountain into the dark valley behind can often times be the best way to shine the light on the path that lays ahead.
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