Daily Thought for Monday, August 8th

August 8, 2011

The Past

Today’s Thought:

“We live in the present, we dream of the future, but we learn eternal truths from the past.”  – Madame Chiang Kai-shek

Today’s Quotes:

“You cannot step twice into the same river, for other waters are continually flowing on.” – Heraclitus

Today’s Question

Do you think there might be some grain of truth to the notion that: “The only use of a knowledge of the past is to equip us for the present?” – Alfred North Whitehead

Today’s Bible Verses:                  1 Corinthians 13:9-12 & Philippians 3:13-14

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

“Here lies my past,

Goodbye I have kissed it;

Thank you kids,

I wouldn’t have missed it.” – Ogden Nash

The past is resplendent with memories: and holding onto those memories of experiences and lessons learned is not a bad thing to do; but to attempt to live today as if it were the same as yesterday is not good.

It is healthy to take from our past those things that have helped shape and develop us and employ them into the fashioning of our present choices and decisions.  But we must remember; yesterday is gone and we cannot relive it’s pleasure nor should we continue to suffer it’s pains: we need to move ahead and embrace the moments; the opportunities and the potential that God has for our today.

Unfortunately, too many folks try to live in the past and they miss the joy, the hope and the glory of the present.

Today is a day that the Lord has made and given us, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Learning, appreciating and cherishing the blessings past is a good and right thing to do; just let us all make certain that we are open to the new things that God wants to do in us today and not expect that He will or must do things the same today as He did yesterday or last week, or last month or last year.

And tomorrow we need to take the lessons of today and start anew and move ahead.

“Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday.” – John Wayne

Today’s Prayer:

Father, it is with thanksgiving and gratitude that I look back on all you have done and all you have brought me through: but may I not miss what you have for me today and may I not try to hold on to what was while missing out on what is.  May I embrace today as a new day, with new opportunities; taking past experience to improve and be better and do more and greater things today than I did in all the days of my past.