Somethin’s Got a Hold on Me
Somethin’s Got a Hold on Me
Happy New Year to you! We are given an opportunity every year to start afresh, to shed things from the past that either didn’t seem to work for us or would regret. Is there something that still has a hold on you, something you can’t seem to shake off? If so, let's take a moment and see what God has to say about that.
In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul says candidly, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Wow, this is a very big reminder about putting the past behind us and looking forward!
But how can this be accomplished when negative thoughts from our past mistakes keep pushing their way to the forefront of our minds, hearts, and emotions? At times like this, it may be helpful to remember the promises of God.
In Psalm 103:11-12, we are promised, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Jesus’s blood paid for every bit of our confessed sins of the past, present, and future, so there’s no reason for us to carry regrets that can potentially harm us if we hold on to them tightly. Holding on to mistakes already forgiven can be like hanging a bag of stinking garbage around our necks and carrying that stench with us wherever we go!
A favorite songwriter, Stephen Stills, says, “Don’t let the past remind us of what we are not now.” I agree with him. If the Maker of Heaven and Earth forgives us, who are we not to forgive ourselves?
Let us Walk in His Way.
Dear Heavenly Father, Your word says that You “renew the face of the ground” and “restore the years the locusts have eaten.” Those are promises! Help us to shed thoughts from our past that haunt us as we face a chance for new beginnings. Hebrews 10:23 encourages, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” Thank You, Lord, for fresh starts. Help us to look ahead through the windshield rather than in the rearview mirror. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
by Corinne “Kinney” deHamel
author of “Walk in His Way” for
Carry the Light Ministries
