A new past

"God is involved in my life, and He will take care of me"
~Max Lucado, podcast "God's Supply"

That was exactly what I needed to hear today. After insights from yesterday's devos, I wanted to lose my excess baggages. The baggages that I have picked up in the past few years. Baggages that piled up during my defiant toward God before He picked up my life again. I want to look forward, and not being held back by chains and bondage. Maybe because God really want to nail this message home in my life, whenever I want to move ahead in my ministry and transition out of my pervious employment, something will come up and I would me bogged down with client's requests. Why God? This is like having all my energy sucked out of me. I want to serve You yet I am bogged down my my past.

Maybe this is a lesson is faith - trusting in the Lord while serving Him.

Satan's attacks has been furious. As my 28th birthday approaches in a few days, stupid thoughts enter my mind. I'd look at my friends and classmate and watch how they are moving ahead in their careers and in life. And when I look at myself, stuck in the obligations of the past, not moving forward in life by the standard of the world. Part of me, my sinful human nature, wants what my friends have. But I would ask myself, why do I want the things of this world?

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:2)

I know and learn to accept that I will not be successful according to the standards of the world. Because of my faith I would face tribulations. And I must trust in God's plan for me.

So when I look back in my past few years, in my metamorphosis by the hands of the Lord, I should not see it as bad memories. Memories that put me in my current situation, financial state, and challenges I am facing. No, I need to see these memories as opportunities to learn. Lesson God need to teach me before He can entrust me with His plan.

Also without my pervious employment, I would still have social skills of a typical engineer, I would not have had the venue to develop my presentation (preaching) skills, and I would not have met Jenny.

Therefore, these are not bad memories. They a good memories, and seeing it with this attitude is like having a new past. And trust that God will take care of me because He is involved in my life.

"Get into deep fellowship with God so that you know his presence and reality. If you are building new memories, then you are literally building a "new past." Then a year from now, you can look back on your "past" year, and the good memories of community and spiritual
connection with God, and all of that goodness will overcome whatever you have experienced before. You will have built a new 'tree of life,' within your heart, and it will be made of the new memories you have built. Thank God for memory!"
~Dr. Henry Cloud