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by John Piper
How are you doing on your New Year’s resolutions? No, I won’t let you forget.
What? You forgot what they were? Did you write them down? See if you can find
the paper. No don’t be discouraged. Today is the beginning of the rest of your
life. Take 5 quiet minutes and make several “second quarter” resolutions. Then
we’ll take stock at the end of June. Like Paul said: “Forgetting those
(failures) that lie behind, and pressing ahead to the goal, I pursue…” Let’s be
a pursuing people.
Joshua 7 is a chapter on how to deal with failures of the past. Achan disobeyed
God and kept some booty he wasn’t supposed to. So Israel is defeated in their
next battle. Joshua is crushed. He rips his shirt open, throws himself on the
ground and wails before God. God comes in an amazingly matter-of-fact manner,
and simply says: “Get up; why are you on the ground? Israel has sinned. That is
why they got beat. Get up and get rid of the sin” (vv.10-13).
OK then, let’s not go around bemoaning all our failures. Get up. Repent. Get the
sin out. And let’s be on our way to Ai: “Do not fear or be dismayed…I have given
into your hand the King of Ai” (8:1). Renew the New Year’s covenant or make a
new one. Write it down. Paste it on your bathroom mirror. Set a limit to it. And
be sure to add this contingency clause: “If I fail, I will not mope around in
despair. I will encourage my heart in God’s mercy, repent and start up again.”
Future life is too precious. The possibilities of joyful service are too great
to let yourself be paralyzed by the past.
©2012 Desiring God Foundation. Used by Permission. Website: desiringGod.org
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