Devotion Booklets for Seasons of the Church Year Advent-Christmas Devotional - 2017 - single page | Page 9

Forget the Former Things
Wednesday, December 6th
Isaiah 43:18
"Forget about it!" Has someone ever said that to you? Maybe you missed a free throw in the basketball
game and you can't stop thinking about how you let your team down. Your piano piece you played at the
piano recital wasn't played perfectly like when you practiced at home. You can't stop thinking about that
one chord that messed you up. Your report card wasn't that great and now you're worried about the status
of that college scholarship. Sometimes we dwell on those things that aren't all that significant and
someone tells us, Forget about it.
But then there are those things we've done that gnaw at our conscience. They make our palms sweaty or
our knees shake if we dwell on it. Our heart races if we think about it too long. And try as we might, the
more we think about it the harder it is to forget about it. Maybe it was that imp atience that turned to an
angry outburst toward our spouse that left the night ruined. Maybe it was that email you fired off or text
message you sent in the heat of the moment that has resulted in silence from your relative. Maybe it was
the time we decided to talk back to our parents and we ruined the family night. "Forget about it?" Our
conscience won't let us. The glare from our spouse or the silence from our friend or the coldness of the air
are a constant reminder we did wrong. How can we not dwell on it?
Regrets… we all have them. But what is more effective than dwelling on them and lamenting them is to
take them to someone who can actually do something about them. In a few weeks you're going to peer
again into a manager from the past. You're going to call to mind why he came and what he did. Remember
that baby was born not for those who are 'good' or on the 'nice list', but those who lament their past.
Those whose guilt lingers and whose conscience continues to convict them. The baby Jesus came so God
could intentionally forget your past. Your sins are not recorded. He gave his life so we can move from
lingering and lamenting to learning and living.
Learn again why he came to dwell on this earth for you. Learn again what his life meant for you and gives
you. If the God of perfect memory can intentionally forget my sins due to Christ’s sacrifice, there is reason
to believe I can also – not just by putting them out of my mind – but by replacing the wrongs I’ve done with
Christ and the right he has done for me, in my place. Our eyes don't have to glance back, but can
confidently look ahead in the forgiveness this child was born to bring us.
Prayer : Dear Jesus, when the past haunts me and I dwell on my sins, focus my eyes on your life and death
that has forgiven and erased them. Amen.
Activity: Write down on a piece of paper the sin(s) that still nag you… then identify in Christ's life how he
actively did what you failed to do. When your failures bother you, focus your thoughts on Christ and how
he succeeded, fulfilling for you where you failed.
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