The Advent Adventure- 15 Days to Christmas: Making Peace with Your Past
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“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Romans 5:1 (NLT)
Have you lost your peace over past mistakes? Regrets can leave us anxious and afraid we will never measure up and prevent us from moving forward. But if God chooses never to think of our sins again when we’ve been forgiven, then why do we? It seems to be human nature to remember the things we ought to forget and forget the things we should remember. In his classic book, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Henri Nouwen writes, “There is something in us humans that keeps us clinging to our sins and prevents us from letting God erase our past and offer us a completely new beginning.” Yet, in Jeremiah 31:34 (NLT), God promised, “I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”
How often do you recall the failures in your past? Are you haunted by regrets? God underscored forgiveness by assuring us He will never again think of our sin! In other words, God chooses to forget! He chooses to never bring up the charges against us! That’s just the opposite with our accuser, the devil! He constantly tries to remind us of our dark past. One contemporary worship leader said, “When the devil reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future!” I like that. Too many of God’s children live with self-imposed limitations because of past failures.
The truth is that God uses those failures to display His glory and grace. It’s out of our brokenness that God brings blessing! God uses broken things. He used broken bread to feed a multitude. He used a broken life to win a Samaritan village to Christ. When Gideon was leading his band of 300 men against overwhelming odds, they were carrying torches and clay pots. It was only when the clay pot was broken that the light could shine through, and the victory was won!
Have you ever considered how God may want to use the brokenness in your life? We think that brokenness disqualifies us. I’ve committed the “big” sin, so God can’t use me anymore. When we believe that lie, we forfeit the truth of redemption! We miss experiencing the power of grace that is greater than all our sin! Romans 5:20 (NIV) tells us, “… where sin increased, grace increased all the more.”
Let grace win the day! Claim your forgiveness in Jesus’ name! He died to set you free from your past and to offer you an unimaginable future! In Romans 5:1 (NLT), the Bible says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.” When we have peace with God, we can make peace with our past.
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.