Question:
Letting go of the past will help you to focus on the present and the future!
(Philippians 3:13) "13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,"
Hebrew / Greek Word Study
Focus Word: straining/reaching forward: ἐπεκτεινόμενος (epekteinomenos) = ( Greek / phonetic sound)
Strongs Definition 1901: To strain after, stretch forward; to stretch forward upon.
Mounce Definition GK: G2085: to stretch out farther; in NT mid. to reach out towards, strain for
Scripture Thoughts:
I cannot tell you how many times the past has tripped me up. The past has caused me so many issues that I cannot even begin to number them. But tripping over yourself or something else is easy to do when you look backwards as you walk. I heard from a pastor years ago you cannot drive a car forward looking through your rearview mirror. The rearview mirror is only to take a quick glance through; that is why it is so small. The front view window is huge because you are supposed to focus on where you are headed. The past is just that, behind you. You can't change it no matter how much you want to. That simply means you must come to peace with your past to let it go. You don't have to like it, but you must let it go to move forward. This is exactly what the Apostle Paul is trying to get us to understand. Letting go of the past allows us to reach toward our future. It is like letting go of one thing with our hands so we can hold on to another thing.
For us, meaning folks like me and me, we must let go of our hope for a better past. It is behind us; it is done; it is finished. For some of us, we must even take the necessary steps to forgive ourselves for what we have allowed ourselves to do, accept, or allowed others to do in our lives. We have to forgive whether it is us or someone else (Matthew 6:14). If we don't, we stay imprisoned even though Jesus came to set us free. (Luke 4:18 ESV) 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.' For example: Think of a prisoner who has just been set free. But he refuses to leave the prison because he is bound up within himself. The door is open, but the ball and chain are wrapped around his mind; therefore, he cannot walk out of his cell.
My Thoughts:
When we hold on to the past, it has a way of keeping us bound, where we are unable to move forward. Paul is telling us through this scripture to let it go; it will not help us to live the life our God has planned for us. This is one of Satan's primary tactics, which is to keep us bound and tied up with unresolved issues of the past. I want to help you out this moment as you read this. You do not have to resolve every issue in your past. As a matter of fact, a lot of issues will never be resolved to your liking even if you do go back to take a detailed look into the matter. Sometimes, It will just be as ugly as it was before. So, what scripture teaches us is to let go and trust God. Do not dwell on things that will never change!
A lot of us are a lot stronger than what we give ourselves credit for. It is time for us to press ahead and have a productive present and future. Get rid of the dead weight; it is trying to kill us. Don't even think about giving Satan what he wants concerning your life. All he comes to do is to steal, kill, and destroy. But Jesus came that we may have life and live it to the fullest (John 10:10).
Extra Scripture To Study:
Philippians 3
Matthew 6:14
Additional Information:
YouTube: Distractions (Part II)
Closing Thoughts:
Forgiveness is something that our Lord commands as Christians. It can be difficult, but it is worth it. We must let go of anything that is keeping us bound, PERIOD. The Lord didn't put us here to live an imprisoned life. So, how much worst is it when we imprison ourselves? It is time to live in the freedom Jesus paid the price for. We can no longer allow Satan to work in our lives and steal our joy, happiness, and freedom. Time to put the past totally behind us and work toward the future the Lord has for us.
Challenge:
Challenge yourself to pray and read God's Word on a daily basis. As you understand more, start acting out on what it says. Then you will truly see the blessing of the Word of God in your life.
Prayer:
Ask your Heavenly Father to help you to understand His Word and give you the wisdom and understanding needed to act upon it.
Action:
Leave a comment, thought, or opinion in the comments section. We would like to hear from you! Please like and share with friends, family, and people you believe will benefit from this devotion.
Take Care Family,
Pastor Charles
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Merch:
Check Out The Book "Wounded Soul: Death Lived Inside Me" by Pastor Charles Myles
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