DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU COME FROM

DON’T FORGET WHERE YOU COME FROM

Begin realizing that God is our source. Let us look three ways that remembering where we came from can shape our lives.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:

Isaiah 51:1-3 ! Matthew 6:25-34 Luke 15:11-32! Genesis 1:11, 20, 26!

 

CONSIDER THE SOURCE

-Because we spend much of our energy focusing on where we’re going in life, it can be easy to neglect where

we came from. However, if we remember where we’ve been and all that God has done to get us where we are,

we find the strength we need to sustain us on our life’s journey.

PUT YOUR SITUATION IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE

-In Isaiah 51, Isaiah was speaking to the Israelites while they were in captivity. He reminded them that they

came from Abraham, the one man God declared His promise to that He would one day free His people.

-Even though Abraham was old and unlikely to father a son, he became the person God chose to multiply into

His people. Along that lineage, God would bring about Jesus, the One who would redeem the entire world.

-Often times when we look at our careers, our talents, our situations, and they don’t seem like much. But

the same God who was Abraham’s source is our source.

-God longs to give us the proper perspective that big differences have small beginnings.  “God can do more in a moment than your human effort can do in a lifetime.”

-Regardless of our situation, remembering that God is our source can give us the hope we need to continue.

 

KEEP YOUR MIND IN PERFECT PEACE

-In Matthew 6, Jesus preached that we don’t need to worry about the things God freely provides for us.  When we focus on worry, our lives become consumed by worry, not worship.

-“Why are you running after something God already said He’d bring your way?” Jesus promises us that just like the birds always have enough to eat and the flowers are always beautifully clothed, God will always provide for us. After all, we are His children–much more valued than flowers or birds.

-God can’t give us peace unless we consider the source of our peace. Spending time in God’s presence–even

if it means simply going to church–allows us to put Him first in our lives. When we do that, everything else falls

into place, which will keep our minds in perfect peace.

 

BRING YOU BACK TO YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE

-In Luke 15, Jesus told the parable of the Prodigal Son. In this story, the youngest of two sons asks for his

inheritance from his father, only to squander it and return home broken with despair. Upon his return, the father

didn’t demand retribution, but celebrated his return. This disgusted the oldest son, who never left home.

-Notice that the younger son had put his faith more in the resource than in the source.

Sometimes, the best thing that can happen to us is to lose things because it causes us to come to our senses and realize we are so far from God, our source.

-In Genesis 1, God spoke to the ground, and plants came forth. He spoke to the water, and fish came forth.

When God made us, He spoke to Himself. He is our source. We understand that just like a plant dies when it’s taken out of the ground and a fish dies out of water, we die spiritually when we live far from God.

-The father in Luke 15 could’ve turned from his son, but he didn’t. He ran to and embraced Him. God does the

same for us–no matter where we go, He runs to restore us to our rightful place before Him. This is grace.

-The older brother in Luke 15 never left home, but he also neglected his source of life. Even though he lived

with his father, he did not take advantage of everything he had available to him.

-Sometimes, like the older brother, we struggle to understand why we don’t have some of the things God

seems to bless others with. However, our Heavenly Father is an unlimited source–and we can always turn to

Him. Therefore, if God has it, you have it. Everything we need is accessible when we consider our source.