Good morning beautiful sister in Christ!
I pray that your day is filled with joy and peace.
Today I want to share a scripture that says a lot in just a few words: "May the God of hope will you all your joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit, you might abound in hope," (Romans 15:13).
Throughout my life, I have found myself being burdened by my past. In these times, I find myself choosing to go back and dwell in my past hurt rather than moving forward and allowing myself to discover what the Lord holds for me in the journey up ahead. It is in these moments that I have felt completely stuck with not knowing why I cling to hurt and also not knowing how to handle it.
Have you ever felt yourself stuck in that same place and lost feeling?
If so, I hope and pray that you have already passed that storm and have been able to continue moving forward towards the hope and the promise that has been given to us by our Lord Jesus - the author and perfecter of all things. BUT, if you are currently in that midst of it, I urge you, sister, to keep fighting the good fight and trusting the Lord, for He is ever faithful.
Everyone deals with their own battles. We all struggle with various situations of life, each painful and complicated in their own ways. There have been so many times that I have wondered how those in the world who do not believe in God manage to push through the struggles without Him. Without His hope, His help, and His supernatural peace and joy.
As a believer, I recognize the fact that if it wasn't because of Christ living in me, I would be where I am now. I know for certain that in my own power and strength, I would never have been able to find forgiveness, healing, and rest that I have been given throughout my walk with Christ on this earth.
That being said, even with my hope, there have been many times that I have asked God why He allows hurting in our lives. I have questioned from the outside looking in, because in those moments, I couldn't understand what God was doing in me through the affliction. We see it so many times in scripture that the plan of God is to refine us in order to make us more like Him. Trials aren't meant to break us, but rather to purify us and make room for us to allow His joy to take residence in our hearts.
Psalm 73:24 says, "You guide me with your counsel and lead me to a glorious destiny." The pain that comes in the moments of remembering our past is real. In my walk of healing, I had to learn that even though the memories and scars are still existing, they are a part of my past that pales in comparison to my promised future. The hurt brings me to remembering that I have a God who always follows through on His promises to never leave me or forsake me, but instead will be with me wherever I go.
The pain of the past, although it can still hurt, much never be a source of me causing pain in others. I must never forget the grace, love, and compassion that has been extended to me, and therefore, I must extend compassion and grace to others even when they are not willing to do the same. I am not claiming that this is an easy thing to do, for we are still humans driven by our flesh, but if our mind and focus is on Christ Jesus, everything changes. Holding onto this truth in my healing journey changed my attitudes and actions. It is not to say that we are not going to struggle anymore, but we must be reminded to live in the joy of our salvation day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.
We learn from the scriptures that we must not look back - that we need to let go of the old things and not being them into remembrance. The Word shows us that holding onto the past hurt brings us back to dwelling in the pain and emotions that God desires to deliver us from and separates us from His hope.
My sisters, it is a blessing that we can look back to our suffering and remember how blessed and loved we are by the Almighty God who constantly gives us new life, a new beginning, a new heart, and a new spirit through His healing and abundant grace. We can stand on the truth of Romans when it says that absolutely nothing can separate us from His love and that by enduring the painful things of the past, we emerge from the fire stronger and more refined, ready to continue in the journey that will lead us to everlasting life.
God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself because apart from God, these things simply do not exist. The Word tells us in Isaiah 26:3-4, "You will keep in perfect peace hum whose mind is steadfast because he who is trusting in you trusts in the Lord forever, for the Lord is a rock eternal." As well as Romans 5:1 reminding us, "Therefore, since we have been make right in God's sight by faith we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us."
My dear sisters, listen and encourage one another in the joy of our salvation. Let us pray for one another to be protected from harmful memories and only look back to glorify God for all the good things He has done for us through the healing.
"Lord, give me the gift of faith to be renewed and to share the hope and peace that I have received with from you with others each day. Teach me to live in the present moment, not looking to the past with regret, nor towards the future with apprehension. Let love be my aim in my life of prayer."
In Christ's love,
Cristina
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