Month: August 2025

Jeremiah 31:34 reminds us that God said… “I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” And so it would do us well if we followed God’s lead on forgetting our past. There are numerous places in Scriptures where it is written that when God forgives, our sins are completely removed because of His vast mercy. (Isaiah 38:17, Isaiah 38:17, Psalm 103:12) Paul wrote about this to the Philippians in Chapter 3, verses 13-14…”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. And if you think about it, Paul had quite the checkered past…but he refused to allow his past to color his future…instead striving towards Salvation in all its fullness in Christ. The past is in the past…so instead, like Paul, today set your eyes on what’s ahead and forget what can’t be changed.

Slipping from the grip of fear is hard…and it’s even harder without the Lord’s help. That’s because so many times our logical truth clashes with past experiential knowledge …and rational thinking collides with what’s happened to us in the past. These are what they call triggers…sounds, sights, smells, or thoughts that remind you of fearful traumatic encounters in the past. And when they hit, you may experience flashbacks, anxiety, or even panic attacks. But what I’ve found the best to combat triggers is memorized Scripture. Start with Psalm 23, “I will fear no evil.” Next add Proverbs 1:33, “Be at ease without fear of harm,” when you listen to God’s voice. Isaiah has many verses to memorize such as Isaiah 35:4, “Be strong, do not fear for you will be delivered.” and Isaiah 41:10. “Do not fear, for I am with you.” Finally, memorize I John 4:18, ” There is no fear in love, but perfect love (from God) drives out fear.” So remember, God’s Word is readily available to encourage, uplift, and deliver us from fear.

, uplift, and deliver us from fear.

Isaiah 28:16 says to us today, ” See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.” Jesus is that cornerstone or capstone…establishing a foundation that can never be moved. From this we can then establish for ourselves what we would call a foundational faith in Christ. A developing stone by stone…experience by experience… of confidence and trust that Jesus is truly the only sure refuge in the day of distress. And with that firm foundation established within, nothing will be able to move us either.

Matthew 16:24 tells us, “If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.” A giving up of self is explained three different ways in this verse. First, we are to deny self. That’s because we’re not the god of our life, thus, we must get off the throne and acknowledge the one true God as the rightful owner. Jesus’ call to discipleship here demands that we completely abandon our natural desire to seek comfort, fame, and power…or even the basic instinct to preserve one’s own life at all costs. But biggest culprit hindering this is selfish pride, which still wants to sit on the throne. Next, condemned prisoners of that time were made to carry the crossbar of their cross to the site of execution. So daily, we are to pick up our “cross” of suffering, rejection, and difficult life circumstances and persevere….renouncing selfish ambitions and all rights to self. Finally, we are to follow Jesus…knowing from the start that the path isn’t an easy one to follow. But we can rest assured that Jesus has gone before us, remains beside us, and follows up behind us all the way.

Isaiah 55:7 tells us, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.” It’s very simple then, we are to leave behind unhealthy habits…renounce dark thoughts…cast off secret sins, and turn away from all things that draw us away from the Lord and His Word. Also, we need to take a hard look at any cunning intentions that still linger in our lives and get rid of them, for too many are comfortable, appealing, and easy to fall back on…but in the end, they’re not good for us. In James 2:18, he challenges anyone who claims to have faith in God to demonstrate and make it visible to everyone by obedience…which is the difference between walking in the light and walking in darkness.

Luke 9:62 says, ” No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the Kingdom of God.” When we give our heart, mind, and soul to Jesus, He demands that we forego our past…surrendering, relinquishing, and giving up everything that goes with it. The imagery Jesus uses here in this verse is plowing. Now having been raised on a corn and soybean farm in Central Illinois, I can personally tell you about plowing, which is the first part of cultivating the soil to plant. You start on the far right of the field, make one pass, and then drop the right front tire in the furrow and follow it. You’re continually looking ahead to ensure long straight rows, while never looking back or taking your eyes off your tire in the furrow. Consequently, when we’re forever looking back and focused on our past, we’re of no good to God. So keep moving forward with your eyes looking straight ahead…and never allow the past to influence your future.

Luke 6:37 tells us to forgive so we will be forgiven…that’s because God’s forgiveness isn’t some kind of reward for good behavior…it’s a call to remind us that unless we forgive others, we don’t have genuine repentance and faith in Him. We need to be asking God for forgiveness in order to forgive others, our self included. No Scripture in the Bible tells us to forgive ourselves…that’s because only God can forgive. But we can allow His forgiveness to change us from the inside out…exchanging all those degrading voices inside our head that taunt and insult for the Lord’s strong Voice of Truth. But God’s forgiveness will also show us where we need to acknowledge and take responsibility in forgiving others. Forgiving others isn’t an action intended for them but for us…it’s an intentional act of unchaining ourselves from the past hurt so we might be able to move on. In other words, forgiveness is freedom, and freedom from the past puts us on the path to healing.

In the Joel 1:6-7 we read where the locust plague has caused the entire land to be laid waste…ruining all vegetation. But in this verse, amidst all that devastation, God promises the physical renewal of the land. Now this is not the first time God used locust to inflict punishment. In Exodus 10:1-20, He used the locust plague in Egypt to harden Pharaoh’s disobedient heart…much in the same way He threatened Israel in Amos 4:9. But God is faithful, and a Covenant-Keeping God Who punishes but will never abandon. You may look around you today and see 0nly ruin…but God promises you restitution and compensation as you continue to seek Him.

The blessings of God-given wisdom reaches far into all aspects of our life if we allow it. It is a treasure trove of good judgement, skill, discernment, and discretion that can be applied to every area of our life. Wisdom will not only give us Godly insight into our personal life, but will extend into anything we touch, including economic benefits and profitability…and it’s there for the taking…just ask. (James 1:5)

When we’re in the thick of affliction, hardship, and difficulty it’s almost impossible to thank God for it…let alone be joyful in the midst. But if we look at the progression of these verses, we can see that there is joy because of what God produces through all our troubles. So instead of fearful uncertainty, we can now be assured of God’s love as He walks beside us through the mess. And as we persevere, we will gain endurance, confidence, and patience…never surrendering our hope, faith, and joy as we move forward day by day with Him.