What was your past like? What horrible things did you do before you were saved? What horrible things came to you from your ancestry? What things are there in your past life that make you think that you are disqualified from God’s best?
- Is there one, two or three divorces?
- Is there one, two or three abortions?
- Is there one, two, three or more bastards scattered around?
- Are you married now to two, three, four or more wives and there is nothing you can do about it?
- Are you suffering from a particular disease because of your past sins?
Do you think that you are thereby disqualified from God’s best for you because of these things or multitudes of others that you can name? Listen, do you think that way? God has not yet given you up. Your past need not block you from God’s best for you. You can still enter into the best. Lift up your heart and say to Him, “Lord, I believe that my horrible past has not ruined all of the future. I will arise in You and become the best that You saved me for and want me to be. The obstacles that are raised by my past are Your affair. You will handle them in a way that will ensure that I am not hindered from entering into Your best.”
You may say, “Well, I have obstacles that were not caused by me. They were caused by others and yet they are there. They are in my way.” Maybe your obstacles are hereditary. Maybe the colour of your skin is a problem or some other health hazard! Maybe you inherited many negative traits… Maybe you got married, under duress, to the wrong person… These are obstacles caused by your past in unbelief. They are no problem to God. Your failure in the past need not be final. Stop being discouraged. Listen to what Saul said about himself, “But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and had called me through his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son to me…” (Galatians 1:15-16) What God did for Saul, He also did for you. He set you apart before you were born and called you through His grace and was pleased to reveal His Son to you. He did that knowing fully well what the obstacles were. He was not deterred by obstacles.
If He was not put off by obstacles but revealed His Son to you, do you now think that He will be put off by obstacles connected with your past so that He will not be able to bring you to fully know His Son and fully serve Him? He will surely not be put off.
What obstacle is there that He cannot remove?
What obstacle is there that can block Him?
If there is an obstacle on the left can He not pass through the right and accomplish His goal? If someone stands in His way of blessing you, can He not find one million people whom He can use to bless you and accomplish His purpose for you!
- You can know God most intimately even after three divorces!
- You can know God most intimately even after you have committed ten abortions!
- You can know God most intimately even if you find yourself married to ten wives!
- You can know God most intimately even if your parents were never married or even if your parents were divorced.
- You can know God most intimately even if your parents are unbelievers.
If you are prepared to co-operate with the Lord, you can enter into a most intimate relationship with Him and know Him as indeed He is, regardless of what your past was.
You can also rise to the highest service that He has for you, regardless of how horrible your past was. He has a job for you which no one else can do. In preparing that job for you in His service, He took into consideration what your past was. You have what it takes to serve the Lord in the special place that He has reserved for you in His service. You are the best person to do the special job that He has for you. Your past should, therefore, not embarrass you. Rather, you should accept it and thank God for it. Then co-operate with Him by working hard, and then you will accomplish that which He reserved for you from the foundations of the world.
STAND UP! STAND OUT!!
Turn your back to your past. Refuse to keep your eyes on it. Look to the future. Keep your eyes on Jesus. Keep your eyes on what He has for you in the future. Move with Him. Rejoice in Him. Praise Him and thank Him for your past, present and future. Expect the best from Him. Do not despise what He has given you to do for Him now. Do it with all of your heart and being. He will bless you increasingly. He will fulfil His purpose concerning you. He will cause you to enter your full inheritance in Him. Stand out of failure and doubt. Stand out of defeat. Stand out into Him. Stand up and stand out now!
From “No Failure Needs to be Final!” by ZT Fomum
