Monday, July 21, 2014

31 Days of Joy: Let Go and Move Forward

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning,
but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
― Unknown


Let go and move forward.

Once you become saved and born again, the Bible tells us that we have now become new creations in Jesus Christ. Our slates have now been wiped fully clean, and we have now been given a brand new start in this life. Before we can lay hold of the new things that God wants to do in our lives, we have to let go of the old things-and it becomes a test of our faith. Many of us are bound up in our past – and as a result, we cannot fully live in the present. Past hurts, prior guilt, old disappointments, ended relationships, etc., should never stop us from moving forward. All of us have a certain amount of baggage that we carry from our past. Some of us carry lighter loads than others. Some have learned how to let go of their past because they have found out that it will seriously damage their walk with the Lord and what He wants to do with their lives. They have found that carrying around some of the baggage from their past and constantly dwelling on it will steal their joy and happiness in the Lord. Before you can really start to move forward in your divine destiny with the Lord , you will first have to learn how to let your past fully go. God can fully heal you and break off any past chain if you are willing to believe that He can do it for you. When we sense that the Lord is leading us into new territory, we can either move forward in faith, or we can shrink back in fear to what is familiar. Failing to trust God always robs us of receiving His best for us.

Focus Scriptures:
Isaiah 43:18-19
But forget all that--it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

Philippians 3:12
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

Luke 9:62
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Joy in Action Today:
Pray and ask God to help you to forgive. Ask Him to give you the strength to move on from your past, and not remember old hurts. Pray that the Lord would renew your joy, then choose joy. Choose to be happy. Choose to forget anything that will make you feel anything other than joyful.