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Forward

Devotional Guide

Forward From Yesterday

You can’t stay in the past if you want to move forward into your future. One of the greatest oppositions to moving forward in the freedom Christ purchased for you is the inability to be free from the past. As another new year begins, many remember, reminisce, and look back. Naturally, as we take the time to remember the past year, our memory takes us back further in our lives. Negative experiences, hurtful circumstances, sinful choices, unwise decisions, and regretful moments often feel like a spiritual and emotional avalanche. If not processed in the right way, despair, guilt, depression, insecurity, and anxiety start to set in until we feel useless, unloved, and utterly defeated in life. It is not the will of God or the desire of God for you to live in defeat by hanging onto your past. As a believer in Christ, you are not defined by your past; you are defined by Christ in you. This means that you are no longer condemned, but innocent through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. He is your substitute. In other words, all of your past sins, mistakes, failures, the curses you lived with, and your hurts were placed on Christ, and in return, He gave you His righteousness, healing, wholeness, and freedom. You may be asking, “But you don’t know my past. You don’t know my hurts. I don’t deserve to move forward and start over. I don’t deserve to be forgiven and free.” It’s not about deserving it. Letting go of the past means that we trust Christ has already taken away the penalty of our wrong choices and defeated their power to keep us down. Jesus settled the penalty and power of our past once and for all! Since Jesus settled it for you, you must rest in Him and be settled. When you look back, own it and learn from it, but rejoice that it has no control over your destiny. God’s grace gives you the permission, right, and authority to lay it down and move forward. The apostle Paul was once a man who made havoc of the church, ensuring that men and women would be persecuted. He didn’t deserve it, but God’s grace came to him. Jesus transformed him. He was a changed man when he put His trust in Christ’s sufficient sacrifice on the cross. Though he had a regretful past, it no longer held him down, defeated him, nor kept him from moving forward. He writes, “I don’t mean to say that I’ve already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 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. I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:12-13, NLT). Let go of the past! You have the right and authority to do so in Christ! LIFE APPLICATION 1. Spend time alone with God today: Sit in His presence, rest in His unconditional love and acceptance of you. Begin to worship Him, thank Him, and praise Him for providing complete forgiveness and healing from your past. 2. Meditate on the following scriptures: 2 Corinthians 5:21; Jude v.24-25; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:7 3. Declare over your life: “I forget those things that are behind and reach forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:13). 4. Move Forward: What in the past needs to be forgiven or released? What lesson can you learn from the past that makes you a better man or woman of God today?

Forward Mentality

Whatever you are focused on is where you will be going and what you will become. Another important principle of moving forward is the way you think. You will be able to move forward in life as long as you align your thinking with the truth of God’s word. You must think the right things about God, about yourself, and about others if you want to move forward. It is crucial to think the way God thinks, aligning your mind with His heart, mind, and will. When our mind is focused on God’s truth, we can be free to run forward! In John 8:31-32, Jesus said something that is key to creating momentum to move forward and experiencing freedom from being stuck in your past. You cannot begin to move forward without this principle as a part of your life. Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” If you focus on the word so much that you live in it, Jesus said that it is a sign that you are truly a disciple of His. You will know by personal experience the truth, and it will make you free. You may ask, “How do I know that I’m thinking right? How can I know that what I set my mind on is the truth? How do I know that what I believe in my mind about God, myself, and others is a truth or a lie?” The answer is twofold. First of all, ask yourself this, “Does God’s word back up your thinking?” The word of God alone is reliable because it is the actual voice of a holy and loving God. One’s word only goes as far as his or her character. That is good news because God is perfect in all of His ways! He has a great plan for you, His love towards you is unconditional, and nothing is impossible with God. Therefore, I can trust what He says and move forward with His word. His word often is contrary to what the world says or even what your feelings may be telling you, but we can know and trust what God says. He never changes, therefore, His truth never changes. Any way of thinking that violates God’s word, reject it that thinking. Don’t accept it. Secondly, another test of whether or not you are thinking the way God thinks is to ask yourself this question, “Is this the truth of the word of God or a lie?” If the truth sets you free, then, on the contrary, lies bind you up, keeping you down and defeated. Within the same chapter of John 8, Jesus said that Satan is the father of lies. Satan is your accuser and is a master at lying to you so that he can keep you from moving forward. Lies keep you fearful, condemned, discouraged, doubtful, and living in the land of lack. Lies remind you of your past hurts, sins, and failures. Lies cast a shadow over the truth of God’s goodness and mercy. God’s truth is what you need to rest in, trust in, meditate upon, speak out, and walk forward in. God’s truth lifts you out of despair, produces hope, gives you peace and security, and propels you forward into the land of abundance! Renew your mind in God’s truth today! Let it set you free and create momentum to move forward! LIFE APPLICATION 1. Begin to worship the Lord: Lift your hands and adore him for setting you free and for showing you the way to move forward in His truth. 2. Meditate on the following scriptures: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 51:6,;John 16:13; Colossians 3:1-2 3. Declare over your life: “I know the truth of God’s word and I am free!” (John 8:31-32) 4. Move Forward: Write down some thoughts that you have about yourself and God. Feelings can be indicators of false thinking. Ask yourself the question, “Is this the truth or a lie? Do I feel free in Christ with this mindset or am I bound?” Whatever the Holy Spirit reveals to you as a lie, write down the truth of God’s word about it. Carry the word of God with you throughout the day. Meditate on it, speak it out loud, believe it, and walk in it.

Forward Movement

Moving forward in God’s purpose and destiny for your life is not possible until you remove those things that are keeping you down. Imagine for a moment waking up in the morning. You start your usual routine. You make coffee, get dressed for your day, eat breakfast, get your lunch ready to take to work or school, get in your car, arrive at work for the day, head to the gym after work, meet your family or friends out for dinner, get home, relax for the remainder of the night, brush your teeth, and finally go to bed. Now, imagine for a moment that you have 50 pounds of heavy chains wrapped around your entire body throughout the day. You may be able to get through your day, but you would certainly struggle, get tired quickly, perhaps get frustrated easily, get discouraged, and you would most certainly look silly. The chains do not belong. The truth is that you cannot move forward weighed down in life. You must be willing to lay things down that don’t belong, that are harmful, and do not encourage you to move forward. In fact, in order to capitalize on momentum in moving forward, this is a must. The author of Hebrews states that we must have endurance in moving forward. In order to have endurance, we must remove things and lay things down that hinder us. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “http://...let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus….” A weight in this passage is a burden, something so heavy that it keeps an athlete from competing the way he or she should. What weights do you need to lay down? Could it be the weight of fear or hurtful words that were said to you? The weight of insecurity or lies spoken about you? Perhaps it is the crowd you continually hang out with that is keeping you from growing in the Lord? To lay it aside literally means to put it down and push it far away beyond your reach. What is the sin that so easily entangles you? Is it jealousy? Unforgiveness? Having a critical and judgmental spirit towards others? Pride? Lust? Perhaps doubt or even gossip? Whatever it is, the Lord loves you enough to tell you to lay it aside. Put it down and push it far away beyond your reach. Then, and only then, can you move forward with joy and endurance. Lay aside the weights and sin in your life. They don’t belong. They harm you. They weigh you down. You have the authority and ability, as you look to Jesus, to surrender them in God’s presence. You will feel lighter and empowered to run forward with endurance! LIFE APPLICATION 1. Worship the Lord: If you are able, get alone and kneel before Him. Offer yourself to Him, surrendering fully to Him. He accepts you fully and desires to heal you, comfort you, and encourage you today. 2. Meditate on these scriptures: Matthew 11:28-30; Hebrews 4:14-16; Romans 6:14; Romans 12:1-2 3. Declare over your life: “I lay my weights and sin down at the feet of Jesus. I am forgiven and free to run forward with endurance!” (Hebrews 12:1-2) 4. Move forward: Allow the Holy Spirit to shed light on the weights that are keeping you stuck and paralyzed. Allow Him to expose sin. Lay them down, one by one. Remember, God loves you. Nothing can separate you from His love. Think about the Word of God. The process of laying aside what hinders you will be life changing!

Forward From Now

One simple step of obedience to what Jesus says will thrust you forward closer to Him, will cause you to be amazed in His presence, and will move you forward in His great destiny for your life. Moving forward means you do what God says. You cannot move forward by accident. Moving forward from where you are now takes your willingness and initiative to do what He wants in and through you. Humility precedes obedience to God. An open heart to God is required for you to move forward in obedience. Obedience may not always make sense or may not always feel good, but is priceless. The bible tells us obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ is the highest calling to God and the greatest expression of loving God and loving people. You cannot move forward and refuse to take steps to obey God. Obedience is proof of your faith and trust in God alone. Peter knew what he was doing. He was a professional fisherman. He had experience under his belt. He knew the sea, he knew the mechanics of fishing, and he knew the best time to catch fish. Jesus was teaching the word of God, and a multitude pressed in to hear Him. Jesus saw two boats near the shore; the fishermen were washing their nets. One of those boats belonged to Peter. That was the boat Jesus chose to use. Jesus asked Peter to put the boat out a little from the land so that He could teach the people from the boat. Then the moment came. Jesus commanded something of Peter personally. He told Peter to launch out into the deep and let down the nets for a catch. Hey, hold on a second! Peter was the professional. Peter knew what he was doing. Peter tried to explain to this Rabbi, “We have toiled all night and caught nothing.” Night time was the best time to fish apparently, and Peter reminded Jesus of this. On top of that, Peter said that he had worked hard all night and caught nothing. Peter thought to himself, the way we do with God, “This doesn’t make sense. I’m going to do it my way. I’m not moving forward because it’s risky. I’ll look foolish to others. I know better than God in this situation. God’s way is not the best way.” Peter was wise enough to make an important choice. Luke 5:5 says, “Nevertheless, at your word, I will let down the net.” Peter simply took a step of faith, listening to the voice of God. He obeyed Jesus’ command. Peter moved forward with that one decision, that one step. What was the result of that obedience? Peter caught so many fish that the nets were breaking and the boats began to sink! After seeing what God did through his obedience, Peter’s eyes were opened. He realized God stood in front of Him. He and his fishing partners, James and John, were amazed, and Luke 5:11 says they forsook all and followed Jesus from that point forward. Their lives were forever changed, and they moved forward in the destiny God had for them. It just took a step of obedience to the word of God. What has God been saying to you? What step of obedience will radically change your life and change countless lives around you? Is God saying to take the step to forgive someone? Pray for a marriage? Give generously? Lead a ministry? Confront someone? Call to encourage a brother or sister who is hurting? Start a business? Bring fresh vision to a suffering community? Lay hands on the sick? Start reading the word of God daily? May you find the freedom of obeying God in the strength and might of the Holy Spirit! Moving forward is action. Moving forward is obedience to the word of God. Obey God and watch God work! You will be amazed. Move forward and do not look back, in Jesus’ name! LIFE APPLICATION 1. Praise God for His goodness and faithfulness: Thank Jesus for being an awesome God who desires to bless you abundantly. Thank Him and worship Him for His word. 2. Meditate on these scriptures: Hebrews 11:8; Psalm 1; 1 John 3:18; Galatians 5:1 3. Declare over your life: “I move forward! I obey the word of God!” (Luke 5:5) 4. Move forward: Moving forward is action. Obedience is action. What step of obedience do you need to take? What is God saying to you about the areas below? Write down one verse for each area from God’s word. How does this apply to you personally? Start taking that one step, one day at a time. Surround yourself with strong Christian relationships. Find encouragement and accountability in the local church. You will be amazed at God’s promises and goodness in your life experienced as you obey God and move forward! Spending time with God Your relationships with your spouse, children, parents, friends, etc. Your finances Your service in the local church Your employment or education Your attitudes Your words Your thinking