Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today – we cannot go back and change the past but we can be free from its shaping influence, otherwise the past will keep me from the fullness of Kingdom life.
Luke 9:62 TPT
[62] Jesus responded, “Why do you keep looking backward to your past and have second thoughts about following me? When you turn back you are useless to God’s kingdom realm.”
Observation
If you don’t know how to silent the past you will never walk into the incredible future of God’s Kingdom realm. When I look into my past I find reasons why I should not walk into the future that God invites me into. My past performance screams ‘not good enough’ to walk into God’s future. My past has all the reasons for disqualification set out and they make a strong case to turn aside from being the man of God’s intention. I can hear their ‘you must be kidding’ mockery. Second, third, and fourth thoughts are raised coated with shame and condemnation. Can a man with that past really confess to being a man that follows God? And I am not talking about my distant past, I am talking about yesterday.
Without freedom from my past afforded me by the forgiveness that covers me in Jesus, my past would disqualify me from my future every time. Its arguments are convincing and condemning. But forgiveness covers my past and sets my eyes straight on Gods Kingdom and who He declares I am. When I give voice to the past I become unable to walk into the Kingdom truth of identity and life. This is why God paid for me the incredible price of forgiveness. It’s free gift in Jesus sometimes makes me reduce its power of covering and shaping over my life. I feel like if I paid something for it, some performance, some sacrifice, to support what Jesus has done for me then I might be more deserving of its magnificence. But all that would do would be to lock me out of its saving power. For whatever I think I should bring would be undermined somewhere by my poor performance.
Application
The truth of forgiveness is that – I am forgiven before I even ask. I cannot add to the completed full work of forgiveness that was achieved in Jesus. So when I look back I will declare over my past His truth. I will not look back and be trapped by my shortcomings, I will look and declare that Jesus left nothing out of my complete forgiveness and I will walk free from my past entrapment and disqualifications and walk into the fullness of God’s Kingdom realm over my life.
Response
Thank you that you do not leave me defenseless against myself and my past, but you ensure my complete and full access to the Kingdom always. Thank you for the incredible fullness of the gift of forgiveness. Thank you that I am secure always in you and not at the mercy of the winds and waves of my life. How blessed I am to live free from my past and always ready for your future.
Meditation
When you look over your shoulder do you hear disqualification? Are you able to silence the voices with the beauty and power of forgiveness?
JOURNEY DEEPER