“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
-2 Corinthians 5:17
Depending on how your past has been, you will receive the verse above as good or bad news. If your past has been filled with hardships, struggles, trauma, obstacles and suffering, then this is amazing news! Here, we are assured that we have victory over our past; one in which we have experienced so much hurt, and also inflicted much pain to others. Jesus grants us His forgiveness, and invites us to let go of all the dark memories from our past. He does not see us as who we used to be or what we used to do, for in Him, we are a brand new creature: free from our past scars and able to live the life God has prepared for us beforehand; one in which we are blessed, and are a blessing to others. On the other hand, if your past has been great, filled with joy, peace and love, success, stability, riches, and comfort, then you might not be so excited when you read “Old things have passed away”. The old things were great, as a matter of fact, you do not want to let go of them! You choose to dwell in the past, and unknowingly, you fail to appreciate what God is doing in the present, nor to embrace the future full of hope that God has for you.
Whatever your case may be, remember this: the past does not exist anymore and no one can live in the past except through their imagination. The old things have passed away and do not count any longer, no matter how good or bad they were. God invites us to turn our gaze forward; He is the God of new beginnings. The only way to have the assurance of victory over the past and be free from its imprisoning grip is to embrace the fact that God is doing something new, so much better and brighter than the former things! No matter what you experienced in the past, choose to let go of it and let the words of God in the passage below sink deep into your soul:
“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.”
-Isaiah 43:18-19
Let’s pray:
Father, worthy is Your name, as You are the beginning and the end of all things. I truly believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and took away my old life. Lord, I come to bury my past in You, and leave all that holds me back at Your feet. Deliver me from the fear of the past and all of the evil memories that keep flashing back in my mind, and may I begin to live the abundant life that You died for. Father, renew my heart and allow me to see a glimpse of the future that You have for me, with Your prosperous plans and the hope of Your salvation forevermore. In Jesus’ mighty name, I pray. Amen.
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