So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” Nehemiah 8:11
Looking back and seeing that one has made a major mistake is disheartening. It can cause the person to grieve or regret the mistake he has made. At that point many people stay there and continue to regret it.
People often fall into depression and cannot get past the mistake that they had made. They do not know how to move on from the mistake. Some will turn to drugs, alcohol, violence or something else to help them forget the mistake. To many people there is no longer any hope or restoration.
Ezra had the people gather to hear the book of the Law being read. They were striving to focus their lives back on God. As he read the Law to the people, they realized how much they had sinned against God. They began to weep and grieve over what they had done wrong.
The Levites told them to be still and not grieve, because it was a holy day. God had restored them. They had just finished building the walls of Jerusalem, so God was no longer upset with them. What was past, was past.
It is common for believers to look back on their past and see the sins that they have done. Many end up staying there and grieve. They go into depression because they realize how badly they had let God down.
As this happens, they are forgetting one thing…that Jesus has forgiven them of all past sins. They are a new person in Jesus. They are now a righteous, holy child of God because of what Jesus has done. They no longer need to be in fear or regret, but need to celebrate what Jesus has done.
There will be days when you begin to remember the things you have done wrong. It may be triggered as you read the bible, hear a sermon, or someone says something. If you have already repented of it, then it is gone.
Instead of living in anxiety and fear of what you did in the past, be calm, be at peace and know that Jesus has forgiven you. Rejoice in what He has done in you. Then pass that on to others. Let others know that they can enjoy the same peace and forgiveness of sins.
Don’t live in the past, but in what Jesus has done for you and in you.
I pray today that you will know the forgiveness of Jesus; that you will know the peace Jesus offers; that you will rejoice in what God has done in and for you; and that you will share with others what God can do for them.
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Photo by Patrick Federi on Unsplash
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