Building 429 – “Press On” (Devotional)

Have you ever prayed a prayer that God answered with a resounding yes?  Have you ever said God if this happens then IΓÇÖll do that?  Yeah me tooΓǪ haha!  ItΓÇÖs a bit stupid but come on lets be real weΓÇÖve all done that at some point.  The last time that it happened to me was when we made the record ΓÇ£Listen to the Sound.ΓÇ¥ I had just become a worship pastor and was really ready to kind of turn the ΓÇ£touring gigΓÇ¥ down a notch or two. 10 years of traveling had worn me out and I was really skeptical about whether God wanted me on the road anymore. So I prayed a couple of simple prayers. 

ΓÇ£God IΓÇÖm all ears to you and your plan, but I need to have some sort of confirmation as to what your doing in my life.  IΓÇÖve got this record deal thing, and IΓÇÖve got this church thingΓǪ IΓÇÖm just not sure how to make them both work.  So if you could tell me which road to take IΓÇÖd love it??ΓÇ¥  NOTHING.  After a while I decided IΓÇÖd just make it easy on HIM and name requests that were so ridiculous that only God could make them happenΓǪ that would be easyΓǪ if they didnΓÇÖt happen IΓÇÖd consider touring and record deals a thing of the past.

1. God we must be a band that has a major impact every night on the road so I wonΓÇÖt feel that IΓÇÖve wasted time that couldΓÇÖve been with my children.
2. God one of our songs HAS TO HAVE AN UNDENIABLE IMPACT around the globe.

I figured that I had just sealed Building 429ΓÇÖs fate, because there was NO WAY either of those two things were going to happen.

First, came WINTERJAM 2012!  What in the world were they asking us to go on it forΓǪ we had been completely off the radar for the last 6 yearsΓǪ. That doesnΓÇÖt make sense, but whatever.  Second, came 15-20K people singing our songs at the top of their lungs. Third, came ΓÇ£Where I BelongΓÇ¥ as the longest #1 song in the history of Billboard charts at that time in 2012 staying #1 for 15 weeks. Finally, came the epiphanyΓǪ. I was scared to death because this was not the answer I was sure that I wanted.  What about the kids, my wife, and my church?

Have you ever been there?  I mean on the wrong side of a prayer request that you had hoped would go the other way?

What about Paul?  

He was focused on doing the thing he was called to do, not just the ΓÇ£RIGHTΓÇ¥ thingΓǪ. NoΓǪ what he was called to do, no matter the cost.  The ΓÇ£RightΓÇ¥ thing probably wouldnΓÇÖt have involved prisonΓǪ. I mean lets face it, if heΓÇÖd have been a bit more selective with the words he chose and when he chose them, he wouldnΓÇÖt have ever been in prison in the first place.  But then who is to say weΓÇÖd have the same amazing truth in the scriptures without Prison? 

This one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind I press on toward the goal for which IΓÇÖve been called heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Phil. 3:13

What has God called you to forget that lies behind?  What failure or success?

God calls us to NOWΓǪ not THENΓǪ.. NOWΓǪ. Not TOMORROW.  He calls us to move, to trust, to believe his grace is sufficient.  

I love the line:  It doesnΓÇÖt Matter where IΓÇÖm going if IΓÇÖm going with YouΓǪ IΓÇÖll Press On.  In fact I wrote it right after God answered a prayer in a way I didnΓÇÖt want him to.  My own personal prison, my fears closing inΓǪ. and then His GRACE drenching the flames of my fears like an ocean to a candle.  SoΓǪ. PRESS ON!