The past is a place of reference, not a place of residence.
The past is a place of learning, not a place of living.
Recently we had a phone conversation with a young couple planting a church in northern Kentucky. They often call to talk through a struggle they’re facing. Their confidence that we will speak truth is a reminder to keep seeking truth daily ourselves.
We have walked a few miles on Calvary’s road, and at 79 we can almost see the end of this earthly journey. God wants to use everything He has taught us along the way.
He wastes nothing—not even our memories.
Hindsight always brings insight. As we walk with Jesus through danger and toil, and through seasons of safety and joy, He teaches us lessons that often become clear only when we look back.
From the moment we trust in the redeeming power of Jesus as our Savior, we step onto Calvary’s road and begin a lifelong trust journey. Every step carries a test: Will I obey myself, or will I obey the Lord? It is a daily walk of less of me and more of Him. And when I failed to trust Him, I slipped back into old habits, old thinking, old feelings, and old ways of handling life.
As we listened to this young couple share their struggles, memories of our own trust battles came flooding back. When our memories take us to the Lord and to the lessons He has taught us, we see that while the circumstances may differ, the heart of the struggle is the same. Truly, there is nothing new under the sun. What Adam and Eve wrestled with in the garden is what we wrestle with today. Scripture uses people from every era, every place, and every circumstance to teach us about trust.
Looking back to God in our past brings a touch of heaven. He has been faithful when we were not. His promises stand no matter what the world or people say. He delights in using us to proclaim His name and His ways. That hindsight gives us courage to trust Him again and again, no matter what comes. And the more we trust Him instead of ourselves, the more our trust grows.
May we keep walking forward with our eyes on Jesus, trusting Him more with every step.
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