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
NIV
Forget the former things. Don’t
dwell on them. God is doing a new thing in your life, but why don’t you
perceive it? Why is it so hard to get rid of negative feelings, and realize the
newness of your life in Him? The endless
lies are repeated in your mind. You will never be free. You have tried a
hundred times. You never get anywhere. You’re hopeless. You’re weak. You’re a failure. You will never change. Do
you ever have thoughts like these? So if
you are new in Christ why do they control your life? Why can’t you just grasp His hand and believe
without a struggle? These negative thoughts are not only placed in your mind by
the enemy. They arise from the perception of who you are, how you were raised,
what you have seen and heard, and the experiences that have shaped your life.
You can forget the former things,
and the old will not control you. You became new in Jesus when you accepted Him
as your Savior. The old has been crucified with Him. The negative thoughts of who you were are no
longer true. You do have what it takes to overcome. You have Jesus—the way and
the truth and the life. BUT you can’t just believe in Him to be free from the
past, the fears, and the worries that control your life. You must believe Him.
You must believe that He will do what He says in His Word.
“Now faith is confidence in what we
hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). Faith
doesn’t require sight to believe. A man brings his possessed son to Jesus for
deliverance. “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us,” he asks
Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes,” Jesus answers the father.
“Immediately the boy’s father exclaims, “I do believe; help me overcome my
unbelief!” This father is desperate. The disciples had tried to cast the demon
out, but had failed. Now the father is asking Jesus for help, and is told
everything is possible if he believes. Not just some things are possible, but
everything. The father cries out, “I do believe,” desperately wanting to
believe. The father, realizing that Jesus is looking into the depths of his
soul and seeing his real lack of faith, also cries out, “Lord help my unbelief.
I want to believe. Help me believe.” (Mark 9: 22-24).
Is the cry of this father also your
cry? Jesus Christ looks into your life wanting you to also believe—wanting to
help you believe that He can do a new thing. He wants to redeem not only your
heart, but all of the hurts and pains that have tortured you. God would rather hear your cries for
what you lack than what you think sounds right. He longs to hear your honest cry
for more faith to let go of what has been, and to know that you are new in His
love.
Friend, He rewrites what you have
allowed to define your life. You can do all things through Him. Believe Him. There
is freedom.
©2017 Lynn Lacher
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