Freedom from Your Past

The world is full of people who’ve been mistreated or abused in some way. Some of them are pretending to be okay when, in fact, they’re emotionally wounded on the inside.

But God doesn’t want us to pretend to be okay. He wants us to be authentically healed, whole and free!

Isaiah 61:1 says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.

If you need to hear some really good news, if you’re hurting and you need to be healed, if you need to know you’ve been set free from your past...I pray that you will take these verses personally.

The truth is, Jesus died to set you free from the pain of your past, and through relationship with Him, you can experience total healing in your soul—your mind, will and emotions. You can have a brand-new beginning!

Your Past Doesn’t Matter

I want you to let this sink in: no matter where you start in life, with God, you can have a good finish.

You see, for most of my childhood, my father sexually abused me and my mother just ignored the problem. As a result, I became a very angry, bitter young woman. For a long time, I lived with the mindset: Don’t expect anything good to happen, because then you won’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.

I desperately needed a revelation of God’s love for me, and to get my mind renewed in His healing Word.

As I continued to trust in and obey God’s Word, He gave me beauty for my ashes, joy for my sadness, and a heart filled with praise (see Isaiah 61:3). I am not the same person that I used to be!

I’m not going to tell you it was easy. It required a lot of diligent study and prayer. And it was so hard when God revealed things to me that I didn’t want to see. But it was well worth the journey—and the same promises apply to you that applied to me.

How to Receive Beauty for Ashes

The first step is to admit you need God’s help. It’s okay to not be okay—God helps the humble!

First Peter 5:6-7 says, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Secondly, you must submit to God’s Word. As you continue to study and apply it, you’ll be filled faith and love—and you will also learn to discern the will of God and His leading in your life!

God loves you more than you can comprehend—and He has a wonderful plan for your life. So, don’t let your past hold you back. Decide to pursue God’s promises for you.