LEARNING DAILY

Philippians 3:13-14, No, dear friends, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (The New Living Translation)

The past is something I hang on to, too tightly. Sometimes the great memories keep me from enjoying today. And there are those days I allow the enemy to remind me of the really dumb things I did or the many times I failed. Pastor Jonathon Moore of NorthRock Church reminded the church this weekend that our past was not to be allowed to define today or our future.

The Pastor’s comments were from the movie Saving Mr. Banks. It is the story of Helen Goff who wrote by the penname of Pamela Lyndon Travers; it was about her struggles to overcome her past while allowing Walt Disney make a movie about her books about Mary Poppins. The movie brought comments by Pastor Moore like, “One’s past should not define nor limit our present life”. “Too many remember and allow some powerful memory and cannot overcome it.” “The question then, is how are people to separate the past from your present.”

Carrying a burden others may have placed on us or feeling the burden of some past problem can cause one to be unable to forgive others or to have an unhealthy relationship with other – with God. If that is you, what do you do? Pastor Moore used Psalm 34:17-18 to address this question. “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of their troubles. The Lord is near those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite heart.” King David knew from experience that the Lord hears the prayers of those who love Him and walk on the narrow way with Him. If you read the rest of this Psalm, I believe you will see that King David also knew that faith in God did not make a person immune from difficulties. The Lord is close to those who are broken over whatever is causing them to not be all He wants them to be. “He has the power and ability to take the broken pieces of life and put them back together again”, said Pastor Moore.

He also said, “Stop dwelling on the past; no one can do anything about. Let God fix your future.” King David said that the Lord is close to us, sees us, hears us, knows our pain. I hope you remember the teaching from Community Bible Church, about the teaching that “Our Father in heaven” loves us. He knows the Believer’s name, has adopted us, and holds us up! It fits right in with Pastor Moore’s teaching that God wants to give us a future without the past haunting us. Jeremiah 29:11 has been quoted often at CBC lately, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” The Lord does not want our past to keep Believers from the plans God has for them today and tomorrow.

Paul wrote, “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.”. “God is able to turn all things around. Surrender your life to Him, look toward the future with Him on the narrow way, and take hold of what God has for you today. Believers must decide to live their future as God desires and not determined by our past. It involves surrendering, letting go, and often forgiving. True healing is found in Jesus Christ. When Believers do, they can say with King David, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.”