Message
It is often easy to forget all the wonderful things God has done for us, which is why many verses in the Bible remind us to 'forget not.' In Deuteronomy 8:11, Moses warned the Israelites not to forget the Lord. Psalm 103:2 also tells us not to forget all His benefits. Likewise, Psalm 78:7 warns us not to forget His works. However, as much as God doesn't want us to forget the things He has done for us, He also instructs us not to hold on to the past.
In today's memory verses, Paul told the Philippians that he often forgot the things that had happened in his past so that he could forge ahead, and he admonished them to have the same mindset in verse 15. Some people are caught up in their past achievements; they keep talking about how God used them and how they experienced great miracles in 'those days'. However, there is nothing in their lives now that shows that they know the Lord. They are filled with anger, bitterness, jealousy, and every work of the flesh. Christians who keep glorying in their past exploits for God's kingdom without thirsting to do more cannot experience a fresh anointing from Him. God's mercies are new every morning(Lamentations 3:23);therefore, any believer who hangs on to the past alone will keep missing out on His increasing goodness and mercy.I turn 84 today, and by God's grace, I am still doing exploits in His kingdom because I've learnt not to hang on to the past, and I rely on His mercies that are new every morning.
Beloved, forgetting the things behind you will help you press on to glorious things ahead of you. Forgetting past negative experiences and even victories will help you reach for the new blessings that God has ordained for you. If Joseph had not let go of the hurt from his brothers' evil deeds, he would have been imprisoned by hate. As we see in today's Bible reading, he told them that even though their actions were meant to destroy him, God turned everything around for good.
Do you need to let go of anything from your past so you can move on to greater heights? Ask God to reveal them to you and strengthen you to let go of them. Ask Him to help you press into the glorious things He has ordained for you. As you do that, I pray that your path will continue to shine brighter, in Jesus' name.