[From Part 7] Dig Deep, Release the Past and the People in it, and develop A NEW PERSPECTIVE.

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19 “This is what the Lord says—

    he who made a way through the sea,

    a path through the mighty waters,

“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.”

     Developing a new perspective can be easy to say and hard to do. It takes time, effort, repetition and persistence. 

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)  “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.  I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.””

     God declares that He knows His plans for us. He plans that we have a hope and a future.  I believe the hope our Abba Father has for us; in part, breaks through and frees us when we see how the things we tell ourselves truly impact how we think about ourselves, others, and the events in our lives.  

     In his book ‘A Better Way to Think: Using Positive Thoughts to Change Your Life,’ H. Norman Wright talks about the effects extreme stress and worry have on our brains and how words we tell ourselves repeatedly can actually short-circuit those effects.  For instance, when we are worried we can repeat over and over “Praise God” or “Purple Fish” or “I can do this;”  any affirmations will work.  Wright also suggests “Don’t spend so much time thinking. Begin experiencing the world without the running commentary in your mind. Don’t take your thoughts as the gospel truth. Think of them like the clouds, drifting across the sky. At times they’re there, and then they’re gone. They have no permanence. Look at each day as a new day, disconnected from the past and future, so you can experience what God has in store for you. Pay attention to your thought life. Are your thoughts drifting, or are you choosing to focus them? Remember, you’re in charge—of your thoughts and actions. Accept the way things are right now, and look for the positive in this moment, rather than assuming positive things are only possible in the future. If your thinking begins moving toward depression, interrupt your thinking process.” 

     We can interrupt our thinking by choosing to WORSHIP AND PRAISE GOD. 

Instead of worrying … worship and praise God. 

Instead of focusing on our fears … worship and praise God. Instead of living in regret of the past … worship and praise God. He is good. He is faithful. He sees us as we truly are, a daughter of the King, that makes us HIS Princess! 

     For times when we struggle to find the words to worship and praise God, His Word gives us what we need. 

Psalm 30:4-5 (NIV)  “Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name.  For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”.

John 10:27-29 (NIV)  “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalm 37:4 (NIV)  “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

     The enemy works very hard to erect barriers in our lives to keep us from connecting fully with God and each other.  He will try to keep us stewing in our fears that have been ingrained in us through our past experiences and lead us to seeing our lives and priorities through a distorted perspective.

Let’s break through these barriers and draw closer to God and each other. 

Let’s ASK GOD FOR STRENGTH TO DIG DEEP AS WE SEEK TO RELEASE THE PAST (AND THOSE IN IT) AND KNOCK ON THE DOOR TO A NEW PERSPECTIVE.   LET’S REJOICE IN WORSHIP & PRAISE TO THE LORD; FOR HE IS FAITHFUL.

#BreakingBarriers#Reconnection

Contact me at soulcarecoach.amy@gmail.com to discuss breaking down barriers or to place an order for my book “Wilderness Journey Living journal”. It’s a guided journal for women that leads you through eight weeks of Taking Steps Toward God through a variety of journaling styles.