"And I pray that you no longer seek happiness from the past, but rather you set your sails forward to land that is pure and wonderful. I pray that you no longer stare into the shallows of empty promises, but that you dive into the depth of an ocean of guarantees. May you feel the winds of hope and smell the scent of joy. May your heart be alive again as it was meant to be. For you are with a better captain. You are a true sailor, a true leader. You are sailing with Jesus Christ, and He is always sure to lead us home." – T.B. LaBerge

Do you often find yourself clinging to your past? Clinging to good or bad things that have happened and now "define" you? Do you dwell on a tragedy, empty promises or just a happier time? In John 3:17, Jesus replied, "You don't understand now what I am doing, but someday you will." This verse is so important to understand, when we don't understand our current circumstances, we need to understand that God is still God and we know who He is because He never changes. God will never allow things to happen to us that do not serve a greater purpose for His good.

"And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you." 1 Peter 5:10

As a Christian, I have struggled with my past mistakes and failures. I know that I am unworthy of the love God gives me and it made me want to run away from Him. But then God taught me a very important lesson, and I want to share that with you. God allows these things to occur in our lives so that we can relate to others on a deeper level. God uses our past as testimonies. We face trials so that God can restore, confirm, strengthen and establish us. With that being said, in every situation, good or bad, if we just cling to Christ we will learn to understand the purpose and we will receive something greater in return for what was taken away.

The Lord says, "Forget what happened before, and do not think about the past. Look at the new thing I am going to do. It is already happening. Don't you see it? I will make a road in the desert and rivers in the dry land." Isaiah 43:18-19

In the verse above, God is telling you to let go of your past. Let go of the things that you think "define" you. May your heart be alive again as it was meant to be. Do not continue another day being bound by these heavy chains and allow yourself to be free. Free from anger, free from guilt, free from insecurity, free from whatever is holding you captive. "Cast your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. I pray that you find freedom in letting go of your past and that you are filled with His overwhelming love, hope and joy for the rest of your days.