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. (Philippians 3:13 NLT)

If our past were like a text message we could delete in a snap, things would have been awesome. But it is not. Though the past is past, it can exert a pronounced influence on our present and determine our tomorrow—dependent on how we handle it.

The Apostle Paul says he forgot those things which were behind and reached forth unto the things that are before him. Despite his tremendous ministry and encounters with God, he refused to ride on past glory. He continued to press on to the greater things before him. Isn’t it amazing how yesterday’s success can hinder tomorrow’s greater glory? Remember that with God, the best is always ahead of us, never in the past.

There are things you should forget and things you should remember from the past. If your past perturbs your peace and hinders your future, that past must be forgotten, not necessarily erased from memory, but its influence upon you must be broken. If you are reading this devotional and there is an event in your past that seems to have tied you like a goat tied to a tree, preventing any progress, you have to forget it—break its influence today!

Remember the past that glorifies God and boosts you up. Remember what God did for you in the past, and give Him praise. Remember how He delivered you yesterday, and know that He can still do it today. Remember the good things people have done for you, and be grateful. 

Let your past honor God and energize you; if it does not, ensure you forget it.

Meditate

Is there a rope from your past that has adamantly kept you tied to the same spot in life?

Apply the Word

If yesterday’s failure or success disrupts your today and hinders your tomorrow, it is time to forget that past and press forward to the bigger things God has for you.

Pray

Ask the Father to help you disconnect yourself from any restraining past event.

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