As I finished reading the book of Joshua in the Bible (chapters 23 & 24), Joshua called the leaders of Israel together to admonish them to resist the gods of their new land and the ways of the people who followed them. He encouraged them to stay faithful to the One true God who had delivered them time and again.
I have witnessed those who have lingered a little too long in looking at their past with what I concluded as a longing to return. They were walking with Christ at the time, but something about the lifestyle they had before created a longing within them. As I witnessed this, later I also witnessed their returning to that ‘land and the ways of it’.
Oh, what victory can be won if we will “simply” surrender.
“Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14 (KJV)
I put quotes around simply for two reasons. One, it goes with the title of my blog! But, more importantly, because it is not always easy to “simply” surrender. It is often hard to let go of the past. Sometimes, we hang on to regret so strongly that we beat ourselves up so badly that it cripples our progress so severely that we wallow in such deep muck, it is like quick sand – dragging us down – and backwards…holding us back so strongly that we cannot move forward…and yet, at the same time, becomes a comfort – a “blanky” of sorts.
I am here to tell you with delight that Jesus came to deliver us from the mire that holds us in its grip. But, He does not force us…He loves us too much for that. He allows us to choose if we would like to, first of all, accept and follow Him; and second, to trust Him enough to surrender…surrender our past; our present; and our future.
It sounds so simple. In reality, it can be. It is as simple as letting go and falling into His arms of rest – trusting Him with all we’ve got! Trusting that whatever comes and whatever goes, He’s got this and He will be with me through it. I don’t need to look “to the right hand or to the left” (from Josh. 24:6). I can celebrate in the fact that…
“…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:15 (KJV)
“No, dear brothers and sister, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,”
Philippians 3:13 (NLT)
Simply Celebrate With Jackie 