The Bottom Line, Ministries Christian News, Articles, & Poetry 
“Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NKJV)
This is something that happens to all people: the inability to move forward in their lives. They lack new vision, new courage, new hope.
It is not that we should forget our past experiences, or their outcomes. It is that we are to put them aside for a time, to be able to put one foot in front of the other, and march ahead into our futures. Actually, the past, whether good or not so good, can be considered a building block. It is a place where we can climb up, climb on, and solidify the journey forward. It is a place to start.
This truth has existed since the beginning of time as we know it, a part of God’s plans for each person He creates. There are some who believe this is only intended for the Christian, but in reality, moving forward successfully often leads people to become members of Jesus’ church. Many truths are revealed about our past mistakes, or errors in judgment, the choices we have made. When this is recognized, the door to salvation often opens. While this may not happen immediately, over time the growth a person experiences, and the observation of how their life has changed, displays our Creator in very obvious ways.
In order to move forward, one must find courage and strength. We cannot stand to the side and watch others step ahead, wishing that we could do it also. We must take action, and do the things that will catapult our journey away from who we were, to who we will become. The ability to achieve this comes from the Lord. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we who are saved have a distinct advantage over those who have not. We have the strength, the encouragement, the leading of the Holy Spirit, and the cheering of the witnesses who have come before, to steady us, to propel us, to accompany us along the way. We need this, because often we take one step forward, and our enemy does or says something that moves us six steps back. Those devious six steps back will vanish because of our faith.
Jesus is Our Hope. And because He is, we can be assured of success in moving forward. We don’t have to stand on our past failures, or even on our past successes. “They (the LORD’S mercies) are new every morning.” (Lam 3:23). This is one of God’s many promises to us, His children. We can stand assured that when we need to move forward, Jesus will hold our hand and be the Light we need to follow the path He has laid before us. He will give us wisdom, and grace, to move forward in confidence, knowing He is our Lord, and that He wants the very best for us.
Moving forward does not mean forgetting the past. It means utilizing its lessons to help us build the blocks of life that we need to succeed. The Hope that is Jesus does the work–we must merely move forward!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Blessings!
When have you had to put down your past and move forward? And what was your outcome? Please comment here or go to www.mystoryofgrace.com, and share your story with us!
