Dear Friends,

            I’m pressing on the upward way, New heights I’m

gaining everyday; Still praying as I onward bound,

“Lord, plant my feet on higher ground. 

Lord, lift me up and let me stand, By faith, on

Heaven’s tableland, A higher plane than I have found;

Lord plant my feet on higher ground.

‘Higher Ground’  is a great Christian song.  The opening words, ‘I’m pressing on,’  reminds us of  what Paul said in Philippians: “I press on toward the goal of the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:14 

Paul uses the illustration of training for sports in some of his writings in the New Testament.  The idea is that one trains hard for the sport, the contest.  Training takes place over a long period of time, you can’t quit.  There are plenty of times when you fall down and drop the ball; but, the secret is getting right back up, and trying and trying again.  Eventually, with lots of practice and failures, one learns the sport, and one’s muscles are trained.  But you can’t give up during the training when it hurts.  You can’t quit after a failure.  You can’t even be satisfied with ‘half-way results.’  You’ve got to believe you can do it and do it well with hard training.

Of course, all this applies to growing in Christ and working for the Lord.  Because God is in it, you can.  Train hard!  Go for it!

                                                Fellowservants in Christ,

                                                Rev. R. Walworth