By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”_ – NIV Israel sinned against God, and He handed them over to their enemies who devastated their land and many died. God promised restoration to them despite a very dark past. He was going to do a new thing. Theirs was to forget the past, and look forward to it.Some of the things that eat up people internally are the past messes, failures and pains. So many have been held hostage by their past. The devil who enjoys accusing always uses it as a key weapon of condemnation. Some of our past is so horrible and painful that you wish it could be erased out of existence. Good or bad, the past is gone. We cannot change it. We can only learn the lessons and move on.Whether through your own messes or as a victim of what others did to you, bring the burden of your past to God. Come as you are, hiding nothing and surrender it to Him. Let Him take that burden off you and set you free. God calls us not to remember or dwell on the past. The more we dwell on it, the more we lose focus of the future blessings and fail to enjoy the present. In Christ, God can bring life out of death, hope out of despair, and glory out of shame. Behold the new thing God is doing, and move along with it. Paul did._1 Timothy 1:12-14 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”_Shalom children of God.