2020 Daily Devotion - Day 185

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Some months ago, in a sermon, I talked about someone who had taken training in riding a snow mobile. At one point, he noticed the snow mobile, on which he was being trained, did not have a side rearview mirror. As he looked around, he discovered that neither did any of the other students, except for their instructor. He asked the instructor why this was and was told the outfitter did not want the students to become distracted by what was behind them, but wanted them to keep their eyes on the leader and instructor. 

Unfortunately, many people keep looking in the past. In fact, there are people who have allowed the past to define them. In Jesus Christ, we have been given new life. This new life can be restarted each and every day through the grace and forgiveness we have in Christ. We need to focus on Jesus and not on the past.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT
"...I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us".

The man who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write these words knew something about not looking back. Before he was the Apostle Paul, he was Saul of Tarsus. He was a religious leader in the days of Jesus. After the early church started to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus and salvation in Him, Saul of Tarsus started killing Christians. Then he had an encounter with the resurrected Jesus and became a Christ follower – talk about forgetting the past and moving forward in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul is a great example.

Pray with me:
Heavenly Father, often in our lives the past has controlled and defined us. But the past only has as much power as we give it. In these trying days, set us free from the past and write a new chapter for our lives; based on Your grace and mercy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Yours because of Him,
Pastor John R. Steward
Senior Pastor
Mount of Olives Church
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