My Past isn’t Pretty

But then, “Who’s is?”.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

I’ve started a book called “Fervent” by Priscilla Shirer and it discusses the impact that prayer, fervent prayer, has on our lives.  Our past, our present and our future.   My past is one of the main reasons for my desire to start writing.   What started out as a face book post that I saved in a word document titled “Prayers of a Sinner” have now became a blog known as “The Path to God in Constant Prayer”.   My past, it isn’t pretty, but God doesn’t care about pretty, He only cares about me.

I used to think, deep down in the depths of my mind, that my worth was equivalent to those spoken of in Psalm 36:1-4 until I met the God spoken of in Psalms 36:5-9.

Psalm 36:1-9

Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all.  In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.  Everything they say is crooked and deceitful. They refuse to act wisely or do good.  They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots. Their actions are never good. They make no attempt to turn from evil. 

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.  How precious is your unfailing love, O God!  All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.  You feed them from the abundance of your own house,  letting them drink from your river of delights.  For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see.

A Lord of unfailing love, faithful, righteous and just. He is caring and gives shelter and will give in abundance and shine His light so we may see the right way.  I just had to learn how to see Him.  How to pray to Him. How to believe in what I was praying to Him.  Trusting!

In the book Priscilla talks about a road that she traveled down many times, doing things she knew she shouldn’t do.  Many years later when visiting the area, she had to pass by the area where the past ugly memories were strongest.  Just as she was tearing up, she clearly  heard God speak to her, “Priscilla, wipe your tears away.  That road is behind you now.  I have other roads in store for you in the future, roads I’ve been preparing for you.  Just as you’ve passed this exit of shame, so you now are beyond the pain that accompanied it.  I make all things new.”  “All things new.”

This is a very good visual for me and hopefully for you.  As you think about painful pasts. As you travel down memory lane, you can remember that it is behind you and God has new roads in store for you that he has prepared.   The problem is that we can’t travel down it if we don’t accept the grace that he so freely gives us. I’ve accepted that grace!  I have to admit, the tears well up sometimes still but He wipes them away quickly now days.  Accept the grace that He has given you!

Lord, I come to You filled with peace. Peace that can only come from you.  When life comes at me from every difference direction You stand firm to protect me.  I am grateful that You have given me armor to fight with against the evils that linger. Both of this world and of the spiritual world.  I pray that I will not forget where I have come from so that I will be able to help others find their way out, but I pray that I will not slip back into the restraints of the past.  I pray Lord for my family and friends.  I know Lord that some of them, if not all of them, have a past that they have not let go of yet.  I pray that they will let You take it.  I pray that they will accept the grace that You have for them overflowing.  Amen!