But that was yesterday.
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matt. 6:34)
I believe that those who have been born-again fulfill that verse, we have been blessed with the knowledge of how to prepare for many various circumstances that may possibly arrive, we have stored up enough, but not so much as to negate the promise of that verse, we trust that the Lord will direct our path and do not tear down our barns to build new, relying upon ourselves.
We see the path that He has set before us, and we walk upon it in faith, but sometimes we look back to yesterday.
“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” (Phil. 3:8)
To some of you I must quote this line from an old song,
“Oh, the times we’re missing, spending the hours reminiscing.”
This is not the fulfillment of Luke 9:62 for I speak not of those whose hearts are far from Him, but of those who refuse to let go of the past, and in many fashions.
“And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Whether it be in longings or in disgust, the past is no place for those who have been hid in Christ to live.
My lovely wife and I were discussing certain aspects of our past this morning, and I would not trade one moment of what we have now for an entire lifetime of who we once were. But the past must be recalled at times, we must be able to see clearly, and with undeniable, verifiable truths that we have indeed over time grown in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, that there is visible fruit in our lives.
Everyone who serves the Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God must be able to say with all assuredness, “That is who I was, but it is not who I am today.”
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
It depends on how we look at yesterday, what parts of it enter into our thoughts, not the action of that past, but how we react to it today in light of who we claim to be.
A man who repents because he has been caught in a sinful act can have the words “forced attrition” applied to him. Such is the truth of Matthew 27:3-5a.
“Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood.”
True repentance in ourselves when we look upon the sinful deeds in our lives, either before or after we got up from our knees at the cross, realizes this truth, I have been forgiven of those things. We know it was us that committed them, there is no one else to blame but us, yet we see them in a different light.
At least we are supposed to.
More lives are ruined my friends by memories of the past than of fears of the future.
The sow returning to the mud or depression that will not abate, the past is a shadow that can swallow all who enter into it.
“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” (1st Cor. 6:11)
Unless you receive Alzheimer’s or another disease of the brain, there is no way to completely forget your past, it is how you choose to look at it that can determine the path of your future.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17)
I believe this verse means those memories we detest, the ones we wish were gone today, and I also believe, in part, that they are a part of the cross we are to bear. And this is only conjecture on my part, but I also believe that throughout all eternity everyone in hell is going to have a complete and perfect memory of their life here. They will never forget why they are there.
Leave yesterday where it belongs, smile at the good memories, detest those others. Do not get trapped there, the path to the strait gate never goes backwards.
