history

just say the word "history" to yourself a few times.

what comes to mind? world history? church history? personal history?

i am not a history buff. my brother-in-law is. but he kind of has to be because he teaches it. but one thing i know is our history informs the present, and our present will inform our future.

it doesn't mean we are bound by the past, it just means the past is like a reference on your resume'. whether you know it or not, the past has something to say about how things may unfold for you. especially if you are unaware of your past.

the fact is, i have had things happen in my past, in my history, that were not good, were not healthy. these things inform me now. but it is up to me to filter those things and evaluate how to act on what i'm hearing.

think about the history of God's people. God is well informed that His people always seem to walk away. Yet God always opens the door and welcomes. The bible does describe a day when the option of returning will no longer be on the table, but until then, it seems like God, being all-knowing, looks at the past, at the history, and chooses to believe the best for us.

there is a kagillion books out there about thinking positively to overcome your past.

i'm thinking we don't need those books as much as we need the Mind of God.

history says you are unlikely to stay close to God... but God believes the best. you can too.

so when you think of history, when you think of your past... for a moment, let the way God sees things permeate its way into your mind. you may see things differently.