Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland. —Isaiah 43:18–19
Ever lain in bed, rolling an unresolved issue over and over in your mind, only to have it dominate your thoughts when you wake up?
I know I have.
When you allow past mistakes, unfulfilled expectations, embarrassing situations, people who have slighted you—even regrets of what could have been—to dominate your thoughts, you miss what God is doing in the present.
Dwelling on the past is like dragging yesterday’s baggage into today. And if you continue to gather those worries, over time they compound. No wonder they are overwhelming!
But remember: Today is a new day.
Today, let go of the past.
Relax your shoulders.
Take a deep breath.
Actively release every misgiving, every grievance, every embarrassing slight that has wrapped itself around your heart, holding you captive.
Let it all go. Instead of allowing these thoughts or obsessions to ruin your day and inform your future, now—today—make your Heavenly Father your one glorious obsession. Make him your focus.
When life spins out of control, know that he is in control. Trust that he has your future in his hands. Then watch him make a way where there is no way. Watch him supply refreshment even in the wilderness and wastelands. That is his promise to you.
Remember: you can’t receive new encouragement when your hands are full of old baggage.
Let it go.
It’s a new day.
Your Daily Encouragement 