Overcoming Bad Memories
‘Do not…ponder things of the past.’ Isaiah 43:18
To overcome bad memories you must:
1) Reframe them. Looking back, Joseph said, ‘You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good’ (Genesis 50:20)
2) Reject them. The next time a bad memory resurfaces, refuse to entertain it. ‘Do not…ponder the things of the past.’ (Isaiah 43:18)
3) Refocus your thoughts. ‘Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead’ (Philippians 3:13).
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You say, ‘I can’t help remembering.’ If you can recall your troubles, you can recall your blessings.
The most effective way to overcome bad memories – is to replace them with good ones! And here’s some great news: every promise God gives you contains the power to fulfil it.
So ‘meditate’ (focus) on these words and personalise them:
‘Fear not…do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; but you will forget the shame of your youth’ (Isaiah 54:4). ‘The former things shall not be remembered or come into mind…be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create’ (Isaiah 65:17-18).
Notice the word create. God can create beauty out of ashes and order out of chaos – but it doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll do a lot of growing and forgiving along the way. In some cases you’ll forgive others; in other cases you’ll forgive yourself.
You say, ‘But all those promises are from the Old Testament!’ Yes, but the Bible says, ‘He carries out and fulfils all of [His] promises, no matter how many…there are’ (2 Corinthians 1:20).
So bring your bad memories to God and let Him heal them.
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THE WORD FOR TODAY 6th April 2017. The above Daily Reading was taken from UCB – online. You can receive it by email, hear it daily on their Radio Channel, or order a FREE copy of their devotional magazine to be sent to your home, in the UK.
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The Word For Today is written by Bob and Debby Gass.
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