Let the Past be the Past

Isaiah 43:18-20

Message No. 0781 | Twitter @GodandUs | www.wisdom-speaks.ca

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Some people’s pasts are very painful, and this keeps them in bondage as they dwell in the pains. This week, God is saying to His people, forget the things of the past, for I am about to do a new thing. As David did in 1 Samuel 30:6, we need to encourage ourselves in the Lord so we can move on and take hold of the victory that He has already put in place for us. May the Lord bless you as you read.

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One of the most powerful self-inflicted evils is locking oneself in the past. Most people have gone through times of trouble, moments of pain, and incidents that make them cry when they remember. Esau could not believe that he stooped so low as to sell his birthright to his twin brother, Jacob. He only realized this foolishness when he lost his birthright blessings, and he wept bitterly, for something that was too late to correct. Some people have been abused, disrespected, neglected, cheated, and taken advantage of in their pasts, and these things have created incurable wounds in their hearts – wounds they continue to carry in their futures.

Of course, it is very easy for a pastor to preach that people should forget their pasts, but we must look at this message beyond the pastor, because it is not the pastor that is saying it. In Isaiah chapter 43, verses 18 and 19, the Bible says:

"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.

Living in Babylonian exile, Israel could not believe that they were so unrepentant as to have put themselves in slavery number 2. Generations have passed between the slavery in Egypt, and the one in Babylon. Hearing of the historical sufferings in Egypt was probably not enough, and they did not value their freedom anymore. Their sins and recalcitrant behaviors put them right back into something similar to what they thought could never happen again. Even then, God heard their cry when they cried out and was planning to rescue them.

Like the Israelites, sometimes we put ourselves in situations that we regret, and we can’t seem to set ourselves free from the regretful acts that put us in such situations. For some, it could be that we ignored the signs that put us in failed and painful relationships. For others, it could be that we put ourselves in the wrong places at the wrong times, and the consequences remain with us till today. Yet, for others, it could be that they labored and tried many things, but nothing has ever worked for them; at the same time, they see other people succeeding all round them, and continue to ask, why not me?

In Isaiah 43, God is saying, I am ready to wipe off your tears, but there’s a role you need to play in it. He is saying that the past may be painful, but you need to move past it. God is saying that those who remain stuck in the past cannot see the salvation of the Lord. He is saying, for you to move forward, you must let the past be in the past.

Esau was no doubt hurt by his actions, and the actions of his brother when the latter stole his blessings, but he knew that he would be in the prison of sorrow if he did not move past that incident. In Genesis chapter 33 verse 4, the Bible says that Esau met Jacob and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they both wept, putting an end to the bitterness of the past. Remember Joseph, how he was sold by his brothers because they envied him and detested his dreams? Yes, he also had to move past the past, by forgiving his brothers and providing them with a lasting source of food in a critical time of drought and famine.

I looked up the meaning of ‘Past’ in the dictionary, and it says, “Gone by in time and no longer existing.” The past may still hurt today, but that’s only if we let it. We can accept the dictionary meaning which says it no longer exists, or we can remain locked up in it. If we choose the latter, then we cannot benefit from anything in the present or in the future. In order to receive something in your hands, you must first open them. If your fists are closed, you can never receive anything from anyone. The recommended action to take is to trade off the pains of the past for the plums of the present and the future. We cannot have them both. God has lots of great plans for us, but only if we open up and received them. Wouldn’t you rather?

What to Do?

The recommended action to take is to trade off the pains of the past for the plums of the present and the future. Would you?