Not going back! I'm moving ahead..

I was singing the above mentioned song by Free Chapel just now. In the midst of singing I felt the Lord say, "Well no you haven't; not really" which really caught me off guard. As I pondered what He was referring to, He reminded me of what I was presently working on, a project I had partnered with someone on. We felt like God called us into this partnership, we prayed, we prepared, I even expressed some apprehension about not wanting the load to completely fall on me as I had enough on my plate. I mean we really evaluated this thing from every angle. Well I should speak for myself; I know I did. When we launched the project, I shot out of the starting blocks and it took a few months before I realized I was the only one running. I looked back and tried to encourage my partner to get moving. I tried to revisit our pre-stated commitments once they were established, that didn't work. Today I was pondering handling all my own responsibilities as well as those that were supposed to be handled by them, a partner who promised to alleviate some of my work load. Once again, in this IHOP internship, we are all (my fellow interns and I are) finding that Abba is whittling away at our flesh.

Every now and then I'd find myself getting mildly irritated that I'm carrying the ALL of the load. The bible speaks about partnerships and my favorite verse concerning this concept is Ecclesiastes 4:9-10:

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!

Every person goes into a partnership with this mindset. If I stumble, fall or need help, someone has got my back or is encouraging me to push forward. Again, I was singing these lyrics:

I'm not going back, I'm moving ahead
I’m here to declare to you my past is over
In you all things are made new
Surrender my life to Christ
Moving, moving forward

I felt the Lord was saying, in correcting me, that if I was truly moving forward I wouldn't be looking back. Regardless of what any partner promises one cannot move forward while looking backwards and maintain success. We've all heard the saying about driving while looking in the rear-view mirror. That's what I've been doing. Put disappointment aside, entitlement aside, and fairness aside. At the end of the day the Lord is my Defender and I just need to focus on the last thing He told me concerning this project. He told me to do it and He said He would bless it. Although the “do it” part is harder that I projected due to the lack of man power and communication, my instructions from God still have not changed.

There was such peace in that for me, today. And the rest of the song further propels me to where I need to go:

You make all things new
Yes, You make all things new
You make all things new
And I will follow you forward

Keep me focused on what is before me, Lord. After all, You fill every void in our lives. What better partner to have on ANY project than Abba Himself!

(Side Note: And right after I wrote this I read the word for the day which is so fitting!!!

Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns -- September 1, 2008:
Beloved, you must exercise your will to push through your circumstances and gain the victory. You cannot move through this time of challenges and tests as long as you allow self-pity and fear to paralyze you. Recognize that this is an attack from the devil to keep you from enjoying My provision and blessings. Shake yourself awake and rise up in faith to believe My word and will for all of My people, and let that be your foundation for success, says the Lord.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.)