Pressing On The Upward Way

Our God loves us beyond description in words that like little children, He wants us to press on toward maturity in our spiritual life.

The Psalmist said,

^“25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

²⁶ My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

²⁸ But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.” (Ps. 73:25, 26 & 28 KJV)

We are only sojourners in this world of tears and joy. We must press on toward our destination on high – heaven. Jesus Christ himself said, “And if I go to prepare a place (heaven) for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:3 KJV). If Jesus makes a promise, 100% it shall come to pass.

There is a beautiful song, the favorite of many Christians:

“I’m pressing on the upward way,

New heights I’m gaining every day –

Still praying as I’m onward bound,

Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.”

All progress in our spiritual life is marked by our quest toward that end that only one thing is necessary: God Himself “who art in heaven” (Matt. 6:4).

We should always be pressing on toward knowing God and loving Him – moving toward that destination to be with our God. The Psalmist said, “… God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26).

Notice the repeated word “heart” in the aforequoted verses. The heart is the center of all our emotions, feelings and desires. “Delight thyself also in the Lord and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart” (Ps. 37:4 KJV). The heart is likened to an engine. Once the engine stops functioning, everything also stops.

This is the reason why when a person is dying, as an ultimate remedy to revive the patient, the doctors will pump the heart. When the heart stops pumping, the person dies physically forever.

The Bible tells us, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23 KJV). Diligence means constant, persistent and earnest effort to accomplish something, with all carefulness, leaving no stone unturned, so to speak. The “issues” are the niceties of life, as well as challenges and problems of life. That is why in Philippine TV dramatics, there is that drama “Be Careful With My Heart”. Why? The Bible tells us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV). Our knowledge and love and devotion to God will guide our heart from the deceitfulness of the adversary.

That perspective changes the way we look at everything. The joyous feeling of love, as well as the suffering and adversity become the means by which we are made hungry and thirsty for God. Disappointments, problems and physical afflictions and infirmities become the tools that wean us away from earthly occupations and move us toward a preoccupation with God alone. Even sin, when repented of, becomes a switch to push us closer to God so that we can experience His love and forgiveness. All things become useful when viewed as the means to the highest good – drawing near or pressing on toward God.

Is there anyone without any problem or trouble in life? The obvious answer is written in the Bible: “Man that is born of a woman is a few days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1 KJV). “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” (2 Peter 3:8 NIV). Significantly, our Lord Jesus Christ was born of a woman (Mary, mother of Jesus), so he had plenty of trouble culminating in his death by crucifixion. Nevertheless, the Bible assures us, “The righteous (believer) cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles” (Ps. 34:17 KJV) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous (believer): but the LORD delivereth him out of them all” (Ps. 34:19 KJV). Be a believer of Jesus Christ (God in person) and “thou shalt be saved (Acts 16:31). “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9 KJV). More than that, we will know and experience deliverance from all our troubles and what is true love of God which is constant and unchanging.

Like Paul, we may say, “… 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” (Phil. 3:13-14 KJV). Don’t make the past bother you. There is nothing you can do anymore. Just go on forward March as a good soldier.

How do we press on? With a humble and grateful response to God’s love (Jesus Christ in person). But all begins with God and from our heart. Our God seeks us first (1 John 4:10 & 19 [we love him, because he first loved us] so that we may seek Him alone first before anything else in this world. The phrase, “he first loved us” is very significant. God is our “suitor” or lover who serenades us because he loves us very dearly which will draw our reciprocal love for God. It is likened to a suitor in love with a woman, who shows love to the woman, and the woman responds positively. If we respond to the love of God, and be like His only begotten Son (be Christlike), then and only then shall everything be fine with us and all things we have need of are added unto us (Matt. 6:33), even life that is eternal in earth and in heaven. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (Jesus Christ) that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Let us keep pressing on the upward way, our eternal destination.

God and God alone is our hope in this life and in the new life to come.

(FGBMFI Davao City Chapter Bulletin, June 1, 2013)