Moving Forward By Gaining the Victory Over Our Past

Our Daily Walk with Christ Devotional – October 25, 2024

“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old.” —Isaiah 43:18, NKJV

The New Living Translation tells us, “But forget all that— it is nothing compared to what I am going to do” (Isaiah 43:18). Our lives involve many past negative experiences that Satan uses to keep us from loving God and believing in His Healing Power. From studying the Bible, we learn that God is Love and His priority is humanity whon Christ created in His image.

Would God command us to forget our past if it was not possible? Absolutely not! To forget the past, we replace those thoughts [yes, it is our reality] with God’s promise: “For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).

Reflection: Perform a self-examination of your current emotional state. If you are nurturing anger, bitterness, and resentment which are the thorny fruits of unforgiveness [toward others or yourself] then you have chosen to travel a path that does not include God nor invites Him to give you a new life of victory. God will not coerce us to forgive or to let go of our past, but God, the Holy Spirit cannot live within an unclean vessel filled with the darkness of an unforgiving spirit.

Moving Forward: “What is God’s purpose for my life?” and “Am I prepared to begin my new life in Christ by forgiving others and myself?” are the key questions to gaining victory over your past through Jesus Christ.

To embrace God’s promise of doing something new in our lives is a conscious decision that requires us to take the first step toward God. We must desire a new beginning. Yes, we may have suffered and been victimized by others or made many past mistakes and now face the consequences of those choices, yet, Jesus loves us and desires to restart our lives.

We must question the status of our faith in God, is it steadfast or wavering?: “I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27). Do we believe that God is All-Powerful? Then we pray for strength and courage to use our mustard seed faith to embrace our new lives.

“When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ ” —John 5:6

We use our faith, even if it is weak to pray an honest prayer, God knows the true condition of our hearts. Our prayer of faith invites Jesus to heal us. Jesus does not heal us in stages—from our prayer of faith, we are immediately made well spiritually, mentally, and emotionally which also includes the gift of inner peace. Pray the simple but powerful prayer to be released from the imprisonment of your past and all unforgiveness. Our prayer of asking for Divine Help reconnects us to God who breaks the chains of our past by setting us free.

Prayer: “God, my faith is weak and I do not know how to forget my past nor do I know my purpose. Please forgive me for hatred toward those who hurt me. I forgive those who hurt me and I forgive myself for making negative decisions. Lord, I desperately need Your help. I ask You to reveal my spiritual gifts and talents and teach me how to use them to bring honor to Your Holy Name. In Jesus’ Righteous Name, Amen.”

Some individuals may require therapeutic intervention to learn how to replace negative behaviors with positive and productive strategies, yet humans cannot heal each other. Our cooperation with the Divine power of God gives us spiritual healing and victory over our past. We stay near to God through much prayer and consistent daily study of the Scriptures.

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” —Psalm 34:18, NASB

“Then Jesus said, ‘Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light’ ” (Matthew 11:28-30).

God promises to heal our brokenness which encompasses all of our mental and emotional challenges. We must possess a sound mind to enjoy a productive life, spiritual growth, and transformation to experience a healthy, thriving relationship with Jesus Christ and others.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Love God by thanking Him for today’s mercies of life. Our decisions should reflect God’s goodness for the mercies of the given day. If you must think about the past then it should be on the countless ways that God delivered you from complete devastation.

A new life in Christ begins with total dependence on God. Surrender is our gift of gratitude to God who guides us day by day. Our new lives can be compared to building a house. Christ is the foundation of our faith relationship with God. From our surrender, the Holy Spirit defines and teaches us how to incorporate the building blocks of faith, trust, and obedience to solidify our relationship with Christ.

Jesus also lived a purpose-driven life on this earth. His Divine earthly purpose: To preach, heal, and give us freedom from the wages of sin by dying on Calvary’s Cross. “Isaiah, the Hebrew prophet, lived about 700 years before Jesus Christ was born. The Book of Isaiah contains many prophecies about the coming Messiah, Jesus, which were made over 700 years before his birth.”

Proof that God uses ordinary people to proclaim His Greatness: The prophet Isaiah was given the prophetic purpose of Jesus Christ, the Messiah: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound…” (Isaiah 61:1).

In the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus revealed His Earthly Purpose: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed…” (Luke 4:18).

“Jesus’ earthly purpose was to fulfill God’s will for humanity and to show the world how to live a life that reflects God’s perfection.”

The Radical Change of Saul’s Calling and Conversion to the Apostle Paul

“Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ 5 ‘Who are you, Lord?’ Saul asked. ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 6 ‘Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’ ” (Acts 9:1-2).

“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” —Ezekiel 36:26

Saul of Tarsus who persecuted the early Christian believers reveals that despite our past sins, habits, and atrocities when we accept Christ’s invitation to become our Savior, God forgives and forgets our past experiences and sins. Saul caused much havoc in the lives of the early Christians who ended up in jail and executed. If Saul did not believe in God’s forgiveness and healing power, guilt and defeat would have crippled his mind and kept him from fulfilling God’s divine purpose.

With Divine Power, Jesus Christ transformed treacherous Saul into the apostle Paul who started the early Christian churches and wrote most of the New Testament under the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ sacrificed His life to cleanse us from all sinful unrighteousness, transform us with His righteousness, and reveal our God-given spiritual assignment to spread the message of His Love and soon coming.

You Are Chosen: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” —John 15:16

Through the Holy Spirit, you and I were chosen by Jesus to be His disciples and to witness His love, kindness, and compassion through our actions and spoken words. Our demeanor and interactions proclaim Jesus is Love and the Lord of our lives. Jesus chose the time and era you would be born and gave you a measure of faith, power, love, a sound mind (self-control), spiritual gifts, and natural talents.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9

We are never alone! Throughout the Bible, we find that God patiently guides us by moving us forward one step at a time. If we devote ourselves to God then Jesus holds us in His Righteous right hand and guides us on the Chosen path which always leads to victory. When we know God’s Loving Character and His promises found in the Scriptures, we willingly place our lives in His hands as He leads us into our Divine purpose—to live victoriously on earth and with Him for eternity.

Lord God, we desire to move forward from our past and ask for Your Divine guidance, strength, and wisdom as we travel on the chosen path You have designed for us. Lord, give us courage as we use our faith to believe in Your promises to take care of us. We thank you for hearing and answering our prayer that we ask in the Worthy Name of Jesus,  Amen.

© 2024 Steps 2 Success with Spiritual Solutions Ministry