When God gave me this devotion to share, he put this image in my mind... someone driving forward, but with that all important rearview mirror there to see what’s behind. God does this for me quite a bit; he gives me an image or a word-picture to illustrate something to me. I want to share how as a believer, a Christ follower, we can relate this image to our life in Him.
As a Christian, my old life before Christ, and even yesterday is all in the past. I’m not staying there. I’m moving forward, but I never want to forget where he brought me from. I can’t dwell in the past because that’s not who I am anymore, but I always want to keep fresh in my mind, the incredible grace and mercy he has lavished on me. I’m new in him! My life is in Him! The old is gone and I’m not moving backward or constantly looking back. My eyes are on HIM moving forward! Lets read 2 Corinthians 5:17. “ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold all things have become new” If you are a believer, the minute you surrendered your life to Christ, you became a new person with a new purpose; to live for Him and let Him live through you! If you are a believer, you have a testimony of how He saved you and redeemed you from your old life, but that can’t be the focus. The focus needs to be on Jesus! He’s the headline! He is the story! In Him, we are moving forward. Our past doesn’t define us! Praise the Lord for that! Not even what you did yesterday defines you! The Bible says that every day His mercies are new! It’s a new day! We’re moving forward!
Think about the Christ followers we read about in the Gospels. Matthew was a tax collector, pretty much despised by everyone, but we don’t read much about his past. We read about his future in Christ. Mary Magdalene had been demon possessed before Christ called her and redeemed her. We don’t read much about her past either. We do, however, see how she followed Christ till the end. The focus was not on their checkered pasts. It wasn’t about THEM! The focus was on the one who changed and remade them! The focus is on Jesus!
If you are still living in guilt or regret about your past or even yesterday, today decide to move forward In Christ! We don’t want to forget what He has done for us..ever... but we are moving on toward Him! Philippians 3:13-14 says, “ I do not count myself to have apprehended: but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” If you are in Christ, guess what? You are called! You have a calling! Every single day to follow Him! We usually don’t get a lot of details on the journey up ahead, but as we simply follow, moving forward, He reveals His wonderful plans a piece at a time and the journey is beautiful! So, eyes on the road ahead! Let‘s keep moving!
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