DAILY DEVOTION, MARCH 4, 2021

This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind … I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul wants us to do two things. Forget the past, and reach forward to Jesus Christ. All too often, we allow the past to bind us. We remember our sins and failures and allow them to hold us back. We think about what might have been versus what is, and that can lead to paralyzing depression.   We need to forget the past. What has happened cannot be changed, so why dwell on it? Jesus offers us forgiveness for all our past sins. Once we have accepted His forgiveness, we need to let go of the past and focus on Jesus.

While we cannot change the past, we can change the future. As we walk into the future hand in hand with Jesus, the possibilities are endless. Paul was a terrible person in his early life. He hated Jesus and persecuted Christians. Once converted he put that behind him and began to walk with Jesus. He changed history from that day forward. He wasted no time lamenting his past. His missionary journeys and writings changed our world forever. That’s what happens when we walk with Jesus.

Our Christian witness will not be on a par with Paul, but Jesus can do amazing things in us and through us as we press forward to the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Will you put this verse into practice in your life?

Father, I know there is much wasted time and disobedience in my past. Please help me to forget the past and to walk with Jesus today, tomorrow, and all my tomorrows. I want to be useful in His kingdom. In His name, I pray, Amen.