If we have not recognized the power that our Savior has afforded us, our painful memories of the past will creep into our hearts’ mind and try to destroy us. The key to remembering what we have and who we are is in the victory of surrender. Now, let’s chew on this.
Wounds of the past need to be dealt with. If you are having a hard time moving on in peace, in joy, in prosperity, in forgiveness, in life, chances are, there is something of your past that you have not dealt with. Perhaps one area of your life is flowing, but there is another that is hindered. God wants us to prosper in totality (3 John 2). If there is an area in which you are stuck or always depressed about, you have to stop where you are and look within your heart. You have to stop moving in a way that is not healthy. Realize that if you don’t, things will not get better. You will continue in the same manner and get worse. You will grow tired, frustrated, have quickened bouts of grumbling about one thing or another. This will pour into your relationship with your spouse and slowly tear you apart emotionally and physically.
Remember that as a child of God, you have inherited so much. Would you like a reminder? (I’ll only provide a few. I want you to study for yourself so that you grow in height, in faith, and in the strength of what you have been given!):
- Acts 1:8 & 1 John 2:27 – we have the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit
- 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 – we are ambassadors
- Ephesians 1:18-20 – we have access; we are citizens
- Romans 8:14-17 – we do not have a spirit of bondage and fear
- Psalm 31:19-20 – His goodness is stored up for us who reverence Him
I provided more than I intended! But there are other scriptures. Share with me those you have found.
If you are not walking as a child who has a rich inheritance, you need to learn to release the hold that emotional wound has had over you, causing you to walk in unforgiveness and bitterness. These need to be renounced.
Why do I share this? I have been a Christian for 22 years, and I’d say a good 15 of those years I was not walking fully in the power that I possess. Remember, we all who call on the name of Jesus, who have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord, have this wonder, working power! But a lot of us don’t walk in it. A lot of us don’t know how. For many years, I didn’t walk in the fullness of His power. And, here is the other thing, I prayed, I read my Bible, I attended meetings of the body. But I was growing tired and bored as each year passed. And, I continued to carry around these past memories of being hurt or offended. There are names for these things, and perhaps I’ll get into that in another forum. But let me share with you about the victory of surrender.
After a while, you get tired of being tired and bored. I was also sleeping, yet I don’t belong to the dark (I Thessalonians 5:5-6). July 2018, I started seeking for answers I wasn’t getting in the House where I had grown up in my faith, by simply asking God. James 1:5 tells us to ask and God will give us wisdom liberally! When we ask/pray according to His will, He gives, the scriptures tell us. And, He did! Oh, how abundantly He did. Fast forward to February 20, 2019, while I was in my garage, with the radio on, I held onto the steering wheel and bowed my head. I remember the feeling of the tears beginning to fall. In a flash, as the memory dared to cause me to go to a place of pity and shame, I cried more. Then behold! This un-explainable peace enveloped me. The tears stopped just as quickly as they’d begun. The words I spoke at that moment, I do not remember. But I know this, I was delivered from the memories of my painful past.
As I was sitting there praising God, a song came on the radio, one that I’ve heard countless times before, called “Beloved.” This time it was different, as though hearing it for the first time:
You are beloved. I wanted you to know. You are beloved. Let it soak into your soul. Oh, forget the lies you heard. Rise above the hurt. And listen to these words…, Jordan Feliz
It all came together for me in that moment. Now, I did forgive and reconcile with whom I needed to, months and years ago, mind you. But remember what I prefaced above about how past memories can haunt you if you haven’t renounced and released them. Forgiveness is part of healing and deliverance. Knowledge also brings deliverance. But just because you have forgiven those who hurt you, doesn’t necessarily mean you have been delivered. John Eckhardt, writing about the shepherd’s responsibility says, “When sheep don’t receive deliverance, they will end up wandering and being scattered upon the face of the earth,” (Deliverance and Spiritual Warfare Manual, p. 12). It is so important to seek wisdom and get in the presence of God so He may direct you to the right people or the right church.
The song “Beloved” is a faithful melody the Lord had me hear, where I received a word (in the form of a song) of healing, and really mending, to my broken heart, and a word of knowledge to you:
Let NOT your bad experiences overshadow or over shine the Word of God. Healed in the Light of Love, I walk no longer stuck, no longer bound by chains of religiosity, seeking man’s approval, and wounds of my past.