Leaving The Past Behind — Morning Devotions

Subscribe to the ‘Morning Devotions’ Podcast

Transcript

Now, suppose you could go back in time and live your life all over. What, what do you think you would change? Would you change anything? Well, the chances are you’d probably choose to do things and say things the same or would you perhaps change things?

We hear people say, if only I had my time all over again, and they have a lot of regrets. Well, I like the essay from Don Harold, who said:

If I had my life to live over again, I’d try to make more mistakes the next time. I would relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been. I know of very few things that I would take seriously. I would take more trips. I would climb more mountains, swim more rivers, and watch more sunsets. I, I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones. I would have moments one after another instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat, aspirin, and a parachute. And if I had to do it all again, I would go places, do things, and travel lighter.

I think that’s good, isn’t it? It’s true that we live in such a fast-paced world that it’s hard to take time to slow down.

After all, there’s much to do. You notice that the days rush by, and certainly our technology is so advanced that everyone’s in a hurry, and it sometimes makes you wish that you could go back and have a second chance to do things all over again.

Can you think of events in your life that you wish had never happened?

And perhaps there were decisions that you made.

Looking back, that we’re not the best or the wisest, but really you can’t go back and start all over again. Life has its share of unfortunate events. We get hurt in that process, and maybe there are people who’ve upset you, and there’s no value really in keeping a record of other people’s sins or grudges. We have to set aside our own feelings and surrender them to God, because God is our everlasting Father. Now, of course there may be scars from yesterday.

But the grace of God can heal those scars. Just this week, I read a letter from a man whose failing health caused him to retire early, and he became semi-invalid. And he said that he worried about the past and the things that he did. He asked, How can I get my mind off my past sins and the guilt he said that I’m feeling.

Hope 103.2 is proudly supported by

And he saw a counsellor who said that in his experience many people spend time reflecting on the past, especially as they get older, and we try to make amends for or seeking forgiveness for the things we’ve done wrong.

We can’t cope with these memories by simply getting our minds off them. So the counsellor told this troubled man to confess his sin to the Lord and to ask for divine forgiveness. He said, offer to make restitution if you’ve done something wrong.

And so it’s good advice to find a trusted friend or a Christian minister and talk to them about your troubled past.

But don’t talk in general terms about your guilt.

Think about the memories that you have in detail, and as the person, the minister, or whoever you’ve got listens, God’s grace comes through them, and the inner healing occurs. So even though we can never go back in time, there is one thing we can do. We can allow the Lord to change us and the patterns of our own behaviour. Now it would certainly make a difference.

The past is not fatal. Mistakes are not final, because we all make mistakes, but what matters today is today and God’s dealing.

The Bible says in 1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins to God, He will keep His promise, and He’ll do what is right. He will forgive us our sins and will purify us from all our wrongdoings. So we must receive that forgiveness, the divine forgiveness of God, and forgive ourselves.

Paul said, I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has won me to Himself. Of course I don’t think that I’ve already won it, but one thing he said I do, I forget what’s behind, and I do my best to reach what is ahead.

So God is amazing. He can forgive your past, and he will never bring it up again anymore.

Let’s Pray

Well, Heavenly Father, we admire your beauty. We admire your love and your forgiving spirit, because, Lord, you’ve included me in your kindness, and so you will not let my foot slip or enable me to walk in rough places. Thank you, Lord, for your strength, and I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Feature image: CanvaPro