During the wilderness journeys of the Israelites, God provided manna, or bread, for them to eat. They were to gather just enough for each day and not store or put it away for tomorrow. If they did gather two days supply, the excess would spoil and was not edible. God didn’t want them living in the past: He wanted them trusting Him day by day.
As I look around today, I see many Christians who are trying to live on the bread they gathered yesterday. And sadly, they are not aware that it has spoiled! If we want to live a life that is fresh and exciting with God, we cannot live on yesterday’s bread.
1. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s BLESSINGS.
When I was a teenager, making $5.00 an hour was great, but that would not be so great right now. That was a blessing, then, but that blessing would not suffice for today.
Each of us could attest to the fact that God has blessed us. God has blessed my family this past year, but those blessings will not suffice for 2013. I want God to bless my family even more in 2013. God has blessed Community Baptist Church in 2012, but those blessings will not suffice for 2013. We need God to bless in 2013, too!
I have learned a lot about the Bible this past year, but I cannot live off of those past blessings. I need to learn new and fresh things from God’s Word this coming year, too!
See, the dangerous thing about living on past blessings is that you will always be measuring today’s successes by yesterday’s standards.
2. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s PRAYERS.
Each of us can look at certain prayers that God answered for us and KNOW it was God Who answered them, but living on past prayers will do nothing for us in 2013.
Elijah had prayers answered, yet he had to pray and pray again. If we want New Victories, we must pray New Prayers!
What kind of prayer life do you have? Do you pray about everything? Don’t try to go through this year on last year’s prayers. Paul said in Philippians 4:6, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
3. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s WITNESSING.
We saw a lot of people saved as a result of our church and ministries this past year. In 9 out of the 12 months, we had someone saved, either in a church service or as a result of a church member leading someone to Christ.
- February – 2 saved!
- March – 8 saved!
- April – 1 saved!
- May – 5 saved!
- July – 5 saved!
- August – 3 saved!
- September – 4 saved!
- October – 2 saved!
- November – 24 saved!
As wonderful as that is, no amount of soul winning in 2012 will suffice for 2013. We are commanded to go everywhere witnessing. Jesus said in Mark 16:15, “…Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”
There’s not one person I know who can honestly say they won enough people to the Lord last year. So, this year, let’s look for more ways to give the gospel out.
4. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s GIVING
Is your giving relevant for today? Some give like their salary was .50 cents an hour. My pastor always said, “Give according to your income before God makes your income according to your giving!”
Praise God for what we gave this year to the Lord, but we cannot live on yesterday’s tithes and offerings. What are we going to give Him, today?
5. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s PLANS
Proverbs 24:27 says, “Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.”
Very few things get done that aren’t planned. If you want to end next year with more accomplished for God than you did this year, you will have to PLAN to do so. Before we can build our new building, there will have to be PLANS drawn up for the building.
Without some sort of goal you will accomplish nothing. So, pray now about some specific spiritual goals you would like to accomplish for the Lord this next year.
6. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s FAITH.
Yesterday’s faith prepared you for today. Today’s faith will prepare you for tomorrow. No amount of faith in 2012 will suffice for 2013. We will need new faith; fresh faith.
7. We Cannot Live on Yesterday’s WORK.
Many churches can look back at something great they did for God in the past; maybe they built a nice building. The problem is, they are still living on that one great event! They are accomplishing nothing NEW for God today.
God has done many wonderful things at Community Baptist Church, but we cannot live on yesterday’s bread. We cannot live on what God HAS DONE. We need Him to do something fresh again in 2013!
I want to encourage you to not live in the glory days of yesteryear. Don’t live on yesterday’s bread!