Category: Devotions

Moving Beyond Yesterday

Hi everyone! I’m trying to move forward but its taking baby steps! One day at a time they say…yeah! But it is soo true. I have a quote by Groucho Marx (lol) and the last sentence says “I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”

However, the focus of this is not solely on being happy, but in forgiving others, living in the past, and just not taking advantages of what today has to offer. For many of my younger years (I digress here because I am still “young” technically lol), I dwelled on the hurts of the past. I dwelled on things that I cannot change at all. They happened many years ago and were holding me in the past, which prohibited my mind to grow past those points. Until I acknowledged that these things happened and formed who I am, I couldn’t move past them. It caused me to fester in anger and pain which was so unhealthy; it didn’t allow me to appreciate life. But when I decided to give my life fully to God, including the past, I had to relive these things once and for all. In going over those things again, I realized things about myself, and decided that I would forgive and let go. Nothing is more clearly said in the Bible then forgiving past wrongs. I want God’s forgiveness for my sins, don’t you? You do know that holding on to the past and living in yesterday, yesteryear, yester-decade, whatever prevents you from nearly every promise God gives us in the Bible? How can you expect to receive anything that God has promised us if you won’t do the simple thing He commands? Jesus’ death forgives our sins.

For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Matthew 6:14 (AMP)

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 (AMP)

Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! Matthew 18:21-22 (AMP)

So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses. Matthew 18:35 (AMP)

For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more. Hebrews 8:12 (AMP)

He then goes on to say, And their sins and their lawbreaking I will remember no more. Now where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering made to atone for sin. Hebrews 10:17-18 (AMP

Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]. Colossians 3:13 (AMP)

In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor. Ephesians 1:7 (AMP

I look at people and life like this. I honestly think that at the core of people there is inherent good. Because of our being born into sin, that is where things such as jealously, lying, cheating, to the abomination sins, etc. come into the picture. However when you become born again and accept Jesus’ gift, it is your responsibility to work and live in that gift and turn away from sin. (Acts 3:19) No one is perfect –“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23 NKJV) but Christ has redeemed us! We can move past yesterday because we were blessed with today! You cannot continue to live in the past or the hurts of yesterday because you keep re-infecting yourself with the hatred, anger, and bitterness all that cause. You won’t let it heal because you keep pulling the scab off. Today is a new day so be happy in it and thank God He saw fit to deliver you from your past. Want more than your past has to offer, because it’s already dead.

We are God’s Family

Good evening!

I was not even going to write tonight, but I read a very important set of scriptures. I woke up from what was supposed to be an hour long nap that started at 7:30 around 10:30 and I needed to take my medicine. I read my own devotion and thought about skipping writing this one. But I started reading Matthew 12(that is the chapter I have been hovering in as I try to read all the way through the Bible.

Matthew 12:25-29
Jesus knew their thoughts and replied, “Any kingdom divided by civil war is doomed. A town or family splintered by feuding will fall apart. 26 And if Satan is casting out Satan, he is divided and fighting against himself. His own kingdom will not survive. 27 And if I am empowered by Satan, what about your own exorcists? They cast out demons, too, so they will condemn you for what you have said. 28 But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you. 29 For who is powerful enough to enter the house of a strong man like Satan and plunder his goods? Only someone even stronger—someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house. (NLT)

In many families there are secrets, problems, rifts, and divisions for whatever reason. Sadly, most times these things are what causes the family structure to break down. The people that are often the root of these problems refuse to change or admit fault. In my own family, ON BOTH SIDES, they are many who cause family division and when called on their behaviors instead of admitting fault, they point the finger at everyone else. They refuse to turn that mirror of reflection on themselves because looking at your own wrongs is often to hard a thing to do.

But when the evil Pharisees tried to look for something to cause a lack of faith in Jesus’ work, Jesus reprimanded them and said the above verses. In families, we fail to realize that we are not individuals but part of a greater body. The Pharisees lack of faith and desire to make Jesus evil show how the devil sought to tear apart the Heavenly body. He does the same things everyday by causing hatred in families. When you begin to look at others as members of God’s family, instead of just your earthly family, it makes it a whole lot easier to forgive and to move on in the work of the Kingdom. It is our responsibility to bring others to Christ, even those family members that seek to do nothing but separate and destroy. When we allow the devil success in our family, it brings him that much closer to attacking us. So don’t even give him that foothold! Keep your family lifted in prayer! Pray that God’s light shines in them and that God makes His will known in their lives and that His will is done. For in verse 29 Jesus says …”Only someone even stronger–someone who could tie him up and then plunder his house.” Only God can do it if you give Him the power to do so!