Tuesday, December 27, 2016

December 27, 2016

“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

As you prepare to begin 2017 would you rather be looking at life through the windshield or through the rear view mirror?

What if God has something new and better He might want to give you this coming year?

What if you aren't able to realize the good thing He wants to do or you aren't able to receive it because you are hung up in the past?

How much of God's grace have you already missed because you are nursing a grudge?

Can the New Year really be new if you are holding onto and living in the past?

Isaiah wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, 
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past."

"How do I do that?" you ask.

Over the next few days I want to offer five keys to putting your past in the past.

First, you decide to let it go.

Sounds easy enough doesn't it?

Things don’t disappear on their own. You need to make the commitment to “let it go.” If you don’t make this conscious choice up-front, you could end up self-sabotaging any effort to move on from this past hurt.
Making the decision to let it go also means accepting you have a choice to let it go. To stop reliving the past pain, to stop going over the details of the story in your head every time you think of the other person.
Human nature is to nurse our pain and rehearse the hurt and curse the culprit who hurt us. But God says you can choose not to do that. His Word says He has chosen to forgive you and He can give you grace to forgive others.
Once, when His disciples asked Jesus how many times they were to forgive those who hurt them He replied, "Seventy times seven" He wasn't giving them a number He was telling them to decide once to forgive every time .

Forgiving and giving grace to one who hurts you is a decision, a choice. But so is holding a grudge. If you are able to choose one you are able to choose either. But giving grace frees you to receive the new thing God has for you!

Decide to give grace and not hold a grudge as we enter the New Year.














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