Do Not Dwell on the Past

Isaiah 43:18

“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?”

After I had been in prison long enough to be free of all the physical effects of my addictions, I began to think more clearly. I was honest with myself and God. I realized I hated myself for what I had done to ruin my life. I never blamed anyone else – only me – for the poor choices I made, one after another, that eventually led me to prison. Maybe you feel this way now.

I had broken relationships with, and pushed away, all my friends and family. Having been homeless for most of the three years leading up to my incarceration, I was left with no material possessions other than what was zipped-up inside a single, hanging garment bag in the prison’s property room. I was convinced there was no hope of anything ever getting better. I thought my future could never be any better than my past.

God was ready to do a new thing in my life, but I couldn’t see it if I kept looking at my past. He did not reveal all His plans for me at once. It would have blown my mind!

TODAY’S CHALLENGE:

Tell God the Father you are willing to quit looking at your past. Ask Him to lead you by His Spirit one day at a time into the future He has planned for you. Trust Him to do it.

Do not dwell on the past.

Dive Deeper: Study Isaiah 43.