After going through terrible experiences in the hands of Babylonians, God said to the people of Judah, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past”. But that wasn’t an easy thing to do. These were people who had been banished from their own country and had lost everything they owned. Yet, God wanted them to forget the past. Why would God ask them to do that? After telling the people to forget the past, God went on to say, “See, I am doing a new thing!”
When God is about to do a new thing in your life, He would expect you to lose your grip on the past. God knew that if the people of Judah didn’t forget their pain, they wouldn’t be able to see the promise. By not forgetting the bitter experiences, they would be unable to experience the joy that God was bringing into their lives. To experience the joy that God is bringing into your life, you have to forget the pain of yesteryears. In life, you can’t move forward and backward at the same time. Forget what happened in your past, make use of the present and wait on God’s promises.
Prayer/Confession: Father, thank you for replacing my pains with Your promises. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Isaiah 43: 18-19