I took this photo the other morning from my bedroom window.   I tried to capture the beauty of the sunrise, but this photo pales in comparison.

How many times do we try to capture moments in our lives? 

Moments to capture:  The feeling we had when we first met Jesus.   The moment we met our spouse.   The first time we held our child.   The experiences we had with the Lord.  The last time we heard someone’s voice.  The list could go on and on …

I walked into my parent’s home the other day and it smelled like “their” home.   I guess it is a mixture of my Mom’s perfume and other familiar aromas.  I wish I could bottle up that smell and take a sniff every so often.  I know the smell will eventually be gone.  Daddy died May 8th and Mama followed him on June 13th … life continues to move forward.

Yes, for the living – LIFE MOVES FORWARD.   We can’t remain in the past.

That is key.  I think I’ll write that again:  WE CAN’T REMAIN IN THE PAST.

Reliving sweet memories in our hearts is healthy and a sweet gift, but there are other areas that don’t need to be revisited.  We can’t continue to relive past offenses, hurts, wounds, or injustices.   It isn’t healthy and it only hurts the one stuck in that place.   When our eyes are on what others have “done” to us,  our eyes are on OURSELVES.  Depression and self-pity have one thing in common and that is the focus on how WE feel.

Anytime I have ever had moments of heaviness of heart, the Holy Spirit gently reminded me of who I was thinking about.   In case you don’t know, I was focused on myself.   It never fails, if our eyes are on Jesus — we can’t say, “I, me, my”  — but we can say “Him, He, His.”

Matthew 14:28-30

And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”

Just like Peter — when our eyes are focused on Jesus, we are moving forward and even doing the impossible.  But the moment our eyes get on our problems or the circumstances around us we begin to sink.   This does not apply to times of inner healing when we are walking with Jesus through our past to discover root issues and allow Him to bring total health.  But when we are stuck in that bitterness, hurt, offense, etc … and aren’t seeking God for healing, that is a different story.

How many of us are living in the past and are inwardly focused?

We can’t remain in the past.

God is always doing a new thing and moving forward.

Where are your eyes today?

There is always hope in Jesus.   He should have our gaze and our attention.

Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.