On June 6, 1944, three American officers huddled in a bombshell crater on Utah Beach in Normandy, France. Realizing the tide had carried them to the wrong place on the beach, the trio made an impromptu decision: "We'll start the battle from right here". They needed to move forward from a difficult starting point.
Saul found himself in a difficult place, needing to make a decision after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-20). Suddenly, the location and direction of his life were revealed to him as a mistake, his prior life perhaps even feeling like a waste. Moving forward would be difficult and would require hard and uncomfortable work, perhaps even facing the Christian families whose lives he had torn apart. But he responded, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" (v. 6, NKJV).
We often find ourselves in unexpected places, places never planned nor wanted to be. We may be drowning in debt, inhibited by physical barriers, or suffering under the weight of sin's consequences. Whether Christ finds us this day in a prison cell or a palace, whether He finds us broken and broke or absorbed by our own selfish desires, Scripture tells us to heed Paul's advice to forget what lies behind and to press forward toward Christ (Phil. 3:13-14). The past is no barrier to moving forward with Him. It's not too late for a fresh start.
Dear Lord, in Your fairness when a situation is a punishment to a sin that I have done, please remind me of that sin that I humbly can receive the punishment. But if a situation is the sin of others, please give me the emotional strength to ask "God what is Your Will for me in this situation" and help me to trust You with all my heart. Amen.
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