The Past

READ: PSALMS 32:5; 103:8-14; EPHESIANS 6:10-18; 1 PETER 5:6-11

Are you ever reminded of something bad you did, and just the memory of it makes you feel like you just did it again seconds ago? Sometimes all I remember is the bad stuff. It pops into my mind and hangs out there. I’ve asked God’s forgiveness, and I know I’ve been forgiven, yet I can’t get this stuff out of my mind. I’m reminded of how mean, stupid, or unforgiving I’ve been. At times I’ve failed to tell someone about Jesus’s great love. As I remember my failures, I feel like I’ve failed all over again. In moments like these, the words of 1 Peter 5:7-9 can help us: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.”

When we feel like useless failures who cannot do anything for God, we can bring all these worries and cares to God. He frees us from guilt and shame, replacing regrets with peace and joy. Because Jesus died for us and rose from the grave, we can know that our forgiveness is secure. And we can continue to confess our sins to God regularly, as He calls us to do.

Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in us, reminding us of God’s great love and helping us lay our heavy burdens at Jesus’s feet—and leave them there. The Holy Spirit reminds us we’ve been forgiven. And God gives us His strength to “stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

My heart desires to go forward with my Lord. Daily, I’m learning to place the past in His hands and trust all these memories and unforgiveness feelings to Him.

As we lean into our relationship with Jesus, He will lead, guide, and direct us in the right path. As we lay our burdens at Jesus’s feet and listen for His voice, He will help us continue forward with Him. Even when we hear accusations that we are no good, not capable, or not a child of the King, Jesus will lift us up with joy, peace, and hope. As He fills us with His love, He reminds us we are forgiven, blessed children of the King who will live with Him forever (Romans 5:5; 10:9-11; Ephesians 1:3; 1 John 2:12). • Anna Gregory

• We can learn to discern Jesus’s voice as we listen carefully to His Word. Understanding who Jesus is and pondering His story helps us see that the accusations against us are not nearly as strong as God’s love for us. According to today’s Bible passages, how does Jesus see you?

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT)