Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you
Phil 3: 13-15
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?
This was one of my favourite nursery rhymes. To this day the answer seems to still confuse as many adults as well as children, as they sit down and calculate multiples of kits, cats, sacks and wives, and miss the first line of the nursery rhyme.
It reminds me that sometimes so many things can clutter our vision or our ultimate goal of heaven. Chasing that elusive relationship, working hard to get things in life and never having time to enjoy them, going to church services but not taking time to worship God....
Paul reminds us in the text that although we have things in our lives which are important, none of these should in anyway replace the prize for which we are striving. Just take a moment to put into perspective those things in life which we measure as important. Take time out and pray over them and ask God to grant you the wisdom to put them in order and in line with our final destiny, to our spiritual "St Ives".
Dear God, we pause to praise your name. We ask for wisdom that in all things we put you first. We pray that we do not get distracted from our long term vision and that our present behaviour will reflect this. Thanking you for all the gifts and blessings you do give us on our journey. We thankyou for hearing our prayer in Jesus name. Amen.
Phil 3: 13-15
As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives.
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits.
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?
This was one of my favourite nursery rhymes. To this day the answer seems to still confuse as many adults as well as children, as they sit down and calculate multiples of kits, cats, sacks and wives, and miss the first line of the nursery rhyme.
It reminds me that sometimes so many things can clutter our vision or our ultimate goal of heaven. Chasing that elusive relationship, working hard to get things in life and never having time to enjoy them, going to church services but not taking time to worship God....
Paul reminds us in the text that although we have things in our lives which are important, none of these should in anyway replace the prize for which we are striving. Just take a moment to put into perspective those things in life which we measure as important. Take time out and pray over them and ask God to grant you the wisdom to put them in order and in line with our final destiny, to our spiritual "St Ives".
Dear God, we pause to praise your name. We ask for wisdom that in all things we put you first. We pray that we do not get distracted from our long term vision and that our present behaviour will reflect this. Thanking you for all the gifts and blessings you do give us on our journey. We thankyou for hearing our prayer in Jesus name. Amen.
