Looking at the Past...Helpful or Harmful?

I have REALLY been enjoying the book of Nehemiah! There are so many treasures that can be gleaned from this amazing book!!! You ladies have done such an incredible job with your insights from this book in both the posts and the comments and I cannot thank you enough for sharing them with all of us!!!

The question I want to look at today that is begging to be asked from these two chapters is this: Is looking at our past harmful or helpful? This is a difficult question to answer, but I believe that looking at this question in the context of these two chapters will help us to understand the answer. Hang with me here as you may be thinking to yourself, "Ugh...talking about my past again!".

Chapter 8: In this chapter we see Ezra reading from The Book of the Law of Moses in the presence of "all the people" (verse 1). This "Book" was not really a "book" as we know its meaning today, rather the Hebrew wording really means that Ezra unrolled the scroll to read from it. Note that as he was reading from this scroll, all the people STOOD UP in reverence and respect for God's Law. Then as soon as they stood up, the Holy Spirit got a hold of Ezra and he started praising God and then all of the people fell face down and worshipped the Lord. The posture of our bodies is VERY important when we are praising and worshiping! It says A LOT about how strongly we feel about God and it is a reflection of the state of our heart. I don't think that this is something that Western culture really understands the impact of all that well. I think we think as westerners that this is not all that important and it is no big deal. Try it yourself in the privacy of your own home and find out. When you are praying kneel down, when the Spirit moves you, lay on your face on the floor before the Lord and see how this changes the state of your heart! The reading of God's Law was a review from the past for the Israelites of what God expected of them that had been given to them in the past (to Moses). Notice their reaction when hearing this Law that they knew they had been violating for MANY years. Verse 9 tells us that the people were weeping as they heard the Law being read to them. Why? Why were they weeping? Because hearing God's Law reminded them afresh how disobedient they had been to this Law in the past and it brought about great sadness of heart because of their disobedient behavior. But look at what Ezra tells them in verse 10. He says, "Do not grieve, for the Joy of the Lord is your stronghold." (HCSB) I LOVE that!!! He is trying to get them to understand that yes, they had really messed up big time in the past, but do not be sad about it because the Joy of the Lord is our strength! Aha!!! Lesson learned!!! Notice also that the Festival of Booths as they observed it at this time had not been done like this since the time of Joshua...Joshua!!! That is a LONG time ago! Another big time mess up by the Israelites!

Chapter 9: This chapter is a concise summary of the Israelites past history back to the time of Abraham. And it is a summary that shows how they were disobedient and messed up time and time again. BUT, God was faithful and DID NOT give up on them! Aha!!! Lesson learned!!! I don't know about you, but it makes me VERY NERVOUS to think of having a summary of my past failures laid out like that! Let me just assure you my past it just as ugly, disobedient, rebellious, sinful, mistake-ridden, and ungodly just like this summary of the Israelites was. Did God give up on them? NO!!! And he STILL has not given up on them and He will NOT ever give up on them...OR ON US!!!

So...back to our question from the beginning: Is looking at your past helpful or harmful? Based on what we have learned from these two chapters and based on what we know about the attributes and character of our loving and amazing Lord, whether or not it is helpful or harmful is simply up to you. GOD does NOT want it to be harmful! He can take what you have been through or messed up with in the past and use it for His glory and for His purposes in so many different ways! That is one of the greatest things about our "Abba", He can take what Satan meant for harm and turn it into something good and amazing and wonderful! Dwelling on your past and letting it keep you from moving forward is nothing but Satan at work. If he can keep you buried in your past mistakes and enslaved to your past mess ups, then he can keep you from being effective for the Kingdom of God in the present and the future. DON'T BUY INTO THAT LIE OF SATAN!!! Jesus died for all of those failures you know...don't belittle His sacrifice by letting your past keep you in a self-built prison!!! BREAK FREE through Jesus and do NOT be in great distress as the Israelites were at the end of chapter 9! Jesus paid too high a price for that...AMEN AND AMEN!!!