Next week, we turn our clocks back one hour.  We fall back and get an extra hour of sleep before coming back to church.

According to our clocks it may look like we get to go back and live that hour all over again, however, we know the reality.  None of us can ever do such a thing.  Daylight savings time is a man-made event and time hasn’t really started over.  Whatever was done during that hour is done and we’ll never get to live that hour again.  No, we continue moving forward moment-by-moment. 

There is something within us that often longs to go back in time.  Sometimes out of regrets wishing that we could go back and make better choices.  Sometimes it is a longing for better days and fond memories that we would love to relive over and over again.  In any case, neither can be done.

From this reality, we can learn what Paul wrote in Colossians 4.  We learn to be watchful and thankful and devoted to prayer; ensuring that we make the most of every opportunity.  After all, every day is a gift of God and none of us know how many days our future might contain.  Perhaps it is the unknown of the future and the comfort and familiarity of the past that causes us to long to stay there.

There’s nothing wrong with recalling and sharing our past.  We can learn from our mistakes, share powerful testimonies of the goodness of God, and laugh as we remember the good times.  However, we have to be careful not to become stuck in our past nor allow it to hinder us from moving forward in life.

God was very intentional in every way to show us through all that He created that His desire is that we always more forward in life.  That is why hope and faith are so valuable in God’s kingdom! 

He placed our eyes in the front of our head, our knees to only bend back with our feet facing in front of us and our arms to only bend forward.  To try and run backwards is incredibly awkward and dangerous and it’s sure to eventually hurt us pretty badly if we continue to try and do it.

Longing for the past is a desire of our flesh.  The Holy Spirit within longs much, much more for the good days still ahead!  God knows our potential and His plans and purposes for our lives that have yet to be fulfilled!  He is incredibly excited for the awesome things that He has in store for us in the days yet to come. 

This is why Solomon wrote:

Ecclesiastes 7:10 (NLT)

Don’t long for “the good old days.”

    This is not wise.

The Bible provides many accounts that teach us the wisdom of looking and moving forward in life.  We learn to fix our eyes on Jesus who has already gone ahead of us pioneering a way for us.  He is the author, the perfecter, and the finisher of our faith.  He is eternal and knew us before we existed, is with us now, and knows fully what lies ahead of us.  He lived in this same flesh to show us how to get through life’s temptations and challenges and struggles and opposition and to finish well and gain the ultimate victory over it all! 

His life and death and resurrection reminds us of the importance of looking ahead with fullness of hope and to derive our strength from unshakable faith and trust in our Heavenly Father.  The Father has proven that He will work all things together for good and set all things right.

Hebrews 12:1-3

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Instead of longing for the past, we can become eagerly excited for the good things that God has planned for our future!  Consider Jesus and how trusting the Heavenly Father through the good tim