May 14: Moving Forward in Faith

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Racquel Addison
Ephesus SDA Church
Theme: Letting Go of the Past

Text Job 11:13-18 “Yet if you devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him, if you put away the sin that is in your hand  and allow no evil to dwell in your tent, then, free of fault, you will lift up your face; you will stand firm and without fear. You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by. Life will be brighter than noonday, and darkness will become like morning. You will be secure, because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.

We all make poor decisions at some point in our lives, and as we age, they accumulate, becoming a burden. For those who travel, you will know what it's like to travel light or with baggage. The light traveler is free to move about, whereas the one carrying a load is slowed down, weighed down, and unable to move at an efficient pace.

Life is a journey, and the Christian pathway is narrow, where no baggage can be accommodated. In Hebrews 12:1, we are invited to “lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us”. No athlete runs with luggage; in fact, even their attire is designed to be lightweight, ensuring they are free to perform at their best.

What are some of these weights and sins? Job 11:14 notes, “If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles”. Iniquity and wickedness are obvious baggage that cannot help a Christian to walk as such. These are blatantly opposite traits that no Christian should possess. Note, however, that we are all prone to holding iniquities that we are not aware of; hence, the psalmist asked God to search his heart and see if there is wickedness, and then asks God to cleanse him.

For us to move forward in faith and let go of the past, we need to come to Jesus' feet and ask for His forgiveness, ask Him to search us for iniquity and wickedness, and ask Him to cleanse us from every sin. Only then can God perform the heart transplant that we so desperately need. Only then can the Holy Spirit dwell within us, and then can we truly be free to let go of the baggage and to run the race with love, patience, gentleness, meekness, all the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I encourage you today to give it all to Jesus, so we may lift up our heads, be steadfast, and not fear; forget our misery, and remember it as waters that pass away. (Job 11:15-16).

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you this day to forgive me of all my sins and iniquities. I ask that you search my heart and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I thank you for the gift of life through your son Jesus Christ, whom I claim as my personal saviour. Please help me to walk in the way and example he has set and to be an example to others.



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