I was reading a blog the other day and thought this “sermonette” by Christine Caine would bless your hearts and remind you that we have just embarked on a brand new year! Old things have passed away!! God is doing a new thing in you and with you!! Set the tone for your year and look forward to all that’s ahead!!

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:10-12 ESV).

Getting past the past is one of the most difficult things we will ever do. It would be so much easier if when we gave our lives to Christ we developed a case of selective amnesia and could simply leave behind all the things that have hurt us or that we have done and wish we hadn’t. The fact is, we remember what we have done and what was done to us and often carry the wounds of our past into our future.

I experienced so much abuse as a child that I developed a number of very unhealthy defense mechanisms in order to protect myself so that I could not be hurt again. If I was going to fulfill my destiny, I was going to have to allow Jesus to tear down the walls that I had built to protect myself, because they had become a prison.

I had to allow God’s Word to penetrate deeply into the darkest places of my soul to bring life, healing and wholeness. Denial does not work. Hiding does not work. Running does not work. But God’s Word works!

Healing is a process. But if you will allow the Lord to penetrate your heart with His Word, then you WILL BE FREE!