Launch All On God

Beware of harking back to what you once were when God wants you to be something you have never been. --Oswald Chambers

I read this quote today and something about it caught my attention. It's a warning and an encouragement all in one. And it reminds me that the Lord knows the plans He has for me.

I like the imagery of "harking back", which according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is said of hounds: "To return along the course taken, when the scent has been lost, till it is found again; hence fig. to retrace one's course or steps; to return, revert; to return to some earlier point in a narrative, discussion, or argument."

"When the scent has been lost." Hmm. Can we lose the scent of God's will? If so, isn't it best to return to some earlier stage when we knew the way forward? But Mr. Chambers is right, often times we have to get out of our comfort zone in order to be obedient to God and truly let Him mold us and shape our future. Perhaps the key is trust. When trusting God, at times He will lead us back to paths we have already crossed; at other times He will lead us down new territory. But He is present in all cases, whether our self-centered noses realize it or not.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." 2 Corinthians 2:14,15