Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. Isaiah 43:18 (NIV) Are circumstances or choices from your past prohibiting you from living life today? If you are not careful, your past attaches its sticky tentacles to your present, robbing you of forward momentum and the ability to make new and healthy decisions that promote both growth and healing. If you allow yourself to become entrenched, replaying past wounds and regrets, you will see nothing but discouragement, failure, and frustration when you lift your eyes to the future. But when you believe that God is sovereign—over your past, present, and future—your faith in God’s ability to redeem and restore all things acts as a divine knife, severing the clutch your past has over you. So, take your hurts, regrets, and past mistakes and leave them with God, who is willing and able to bear all things and create beauty from ashes. And choose—you get a choice in the matter—not to dwell on them. You cannot change the past. But with God, endless opportunities await you in your future. Change is possible! Pause to Ponder: If painful memories from the past attempt to flood your heart and mind today, ask God to reframe your perspective. Invite Him to remind you what He is capable of and ask Him to help you remember to forget.