Phillippians 3:13.

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do,forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."

There seems to always be something that would like to pull us back from our walk in Christ. We are are a road, praising Him, believing Him, trusting him when all of a sudden something from the past pops up. It may be a memory, it may be a person, it may even be an old wound in our heart that has never been healed by the Lord.

That one thing, seems to continually be there, no matter how hard we try to put it away and put it behind us, it just keeps coming up. Paul instructs us to leave those things behind and reach forward to those things that are ahead. But sometimes we just don't know how to do that and the same thoughts, feelings and actions are still controlling us because we don't recognize the snares of the enemy that are there to keep us from going forward..

When we received the forgivenss of Jesus, when we turned to Him we became born again. Our spirits became new and yes old things did pass away but our minds and our emotions may still need renewing and healing. The Word of God tells us to renew our mind with the washing of the Word, which means getting God's word into your thinking rather than what you have been told and taught your whole life about who you are, or how to treat others and even about getting even with someone. Our flesh wants to react the old way, but our spirit can't because it is new and those things we use to have as survival tools don't work anymore. If we really want healing of our past, so that we can reach ahead we need to trust the Healer of Broken Hearts, Jesus Christ.

I was that person with a broken heart. A heart so full of pain I thought it would never heal. When Jesus saved me I was filled with old behaviors, old actions, old ways of dealing with people. I thought to myself, how will I ever be changed? How will this person become the new person in Christ the Word of God talks about. Was it even possible? It may have taken me longer than others to realize that truly the Lord could and would help me to forget those things that are behind me. He was very willing to teach me new ways and He gave me a new heart..

What part did I have in all of this, what did I do and continue to do on a daily basis. I make choices to allow the fruit if the Spirit operate in my life. I resist the evil one and I turn to the Lord God Almight for help. I bring Him the broken pieces, the hurting pieces and He in return comforts and heals my heart. He begins to show me His way. When I am hurt or afraid I look to His word and I learn not to respond to that hurt,but to pray for the person who may have been the one to bring the pain. The Lord shows me we all have broken pieces and sometimes people do things to us out of the brokenness of their own lives. He gives me the grace to receive and to leave it with Him and to continue to reach ahead to those things He has called me to do. I allow the pain and the emotion of that pain to come to the surface that the Lord can heal it. I allow Him to show me that truly He is a man acquainted with our griefs and our sorrows, that He was beaten, and crucified by man even though He had no sin. Somehow in all of that I learn to give the grace to others that has been given so freely to me. And in His marvelous ways He mends that part of my heart.

The enemy of our lives, seeks to keep us bound, he will bring up all sorts of trouble if we let him. He is constantly working on our confidence in the Lord and working overtime to plant seeds of doubt and unbelief in our hearts. The Word of God says, we should resist him and sumbit to God and the enemy will flee. Sometimes I give the enemy more time in my life than I should, sometimes it takes me a while to realize that the Only One who loves me unconditionally is the Lord and it is His good pleasure to do good in my life. He did not save me to remind me of my past but to show me the hope of my future..

Jesus died for you, He died for your sins, He died for your broken heart, he died for your freedom. He stands knocking at the door of our heart, He sends His Spirit and His word to comfort us. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us. His plans for us are for good and in Him we have hope and confidence and healing. We can choose to respond in His way, in love, in forgiveness, in prayer for others or we can choose to continue to let the past keep us bound and never be able to see what is ahead in this life and in the life to come. Jesus wants to heal your past, He wants to heal those hurts, those emotions, those relationships in your life. Will you ask Him today to come, will you bring all your cares to Him, knowing He cares for You? The Lord is faithful to all those who call upon His name, He will answer you and you will find Him when you seek Him with all of your heart. His love toward you is perfect and He is more than able to help you forget the past and reach toward His high calling in your life. He loves you my friends!