NEVER FORGET!

Sunday’s Monday

I was in a recent meeting where all my intellect and emotions were taken back to the day of my first encounter with Jesus. During a discussion, the subject of the past came up with looking back as the issue. Talk, soon turned to quoting scripture as it spued forth freely and comments of agreement were announced by several. I listened, attentively and quietly throughout the remainder of the meeting (that’s how I learn) although my mind was occupied with reminders of my BJ (Before Jesus) misery and my AJ (After Jesus) blessings. One of the scripture quotes was Philippians 3:13 (NLT), No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. What this says to me is, don’t negatively wallow in your past sins, rather, live today surrendering your all to the service of Jesus Christ which is a positive move. You didn’t get to be a child of God through your efforts or wisdom, “and you won’t!” God graciously called you to be His own.

Allow me to elaborate on my train of thought: My last day as an active sinner, is the second greatest day I will experience on (or off) this planet and I had the for-thought to prayed during my encounter with Jesus that He would help me, to never forget how it felt to live rejecting Him. To remember that horrible loneliness, the gut-wrenching pain of hopelessness, not to mention those gruesome moments of crying to ending it all. I begged. Oh! How I begged, for God to end it all because I was too much of a coward to do it myself. I couldn’t see it at that time, but God answered that prayer. God sent a Savior, to end it all, and in that same moment raise me into a new life with Him. My spiritual being was birthed that day and the only thing I can find greater than that is the day I embrace the one who saved me with a big loving hug! I love my past and I love to look back, it excites me to see how God wept over my rejection of Him, how He protected me, how faithful He was when I wouldn’t acknowledge Him. He’s given me the sight to see clearly, how He herded, nudged, protected, and lovingly waited on my surrender. “What a God!” He kept a promise in which at that time I didn’t even know He made, 2 Timothy 2:13 (NLT), If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is.

Now don’t look for what isn’t written as some are prone to do. I am speaking from the positive standpoint of my BJ experiences. And here is the madness behind my thinking. I am not alone, on either side of the scale. There are a lot of people in this world today that are living my worst nightmares, and I pray to All Mighty God that I never forget what they are going through, so my heart never ceases to stop breaking for them. I know as long as I can remember that pain, I will always carry compassion for them. I am proud and appreciative for my past “because God loves me enough to have one!” Besides, He taught me that “my past has the power to awaken someone else’s future!” God graced me with this revelation years ago, “I will never come into His presence and walk away the same.” Even a small dose of God is enough to disturb one's thought process for the rest of their life. One may choose to reject Him but the enjoyment they once had to sin is weakened. I tell everyone, you just had to know me BJ to appreciate the miracle God performed and I did nothing but surrender! God is giving me, John 16:33 (NLT), I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

It is my prayer for myself and all who read this: Dear God help us grasp, love, and live, James 2:14-17 (NLT), 14 What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? 15 Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, 16 and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well,” but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? 17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Help us Lord to find your wisdom in the heartbreak hidden in our past and grow it into a vibrant passion to be poured out onto those who are where we once were. God help our hearts to break and bleed your love over every person we meet no matter their condition, belief, or nationality. Lord I beg of you to daily create in me (us) a clean heart to appreciate your agenda and follow it as you desire. Thank you, God, for loving us! Amen

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK BY BEING A BLESSING TO OTHERS!

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