Yesterday

 One of the greatest blessings I've experienced in my walk with Him is all of the wonderful people I have come to know. One of them is a brother and friend named Bob Yarbrough, and I want to share something that took place with him more than a decade ago. It still speaks to me, and hopefully to you today.

Bob is a former pastor and missionary, and we would often meet for breakfast or lunch. When we did, our talk often centered on the wondrous ways of our Lord. We would talk of the dreams and visions we felt we'd received from Him but had yet to be realized. We spoke of disappointments, and yes, our failures. Yet these times were not times of defeat but of a shared hope, a reaffirmation that what the Lord had promised, He would do. 

Upon leaving one of these meetings, Bob shared an exhortation from Isaiah 60:1. He said that he had learned to live each new day with the realization that yesterday was gone and that this new day was to be faced with the reality that the Father had already redeemed it, and was one that was filled with opportunity, promise, and yes, miracles. We could live in and with the truth of that verse, "Arise, shine, for your Light has come. And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." Yesterday may have been covered in darkness. Yesterday may have been filled with defeat and failure. And Yesterday must be given to Him. If there is sin to confess and repent of, do so. If there is heartbreak and disappointment there, bring it to Him. If there are shattered and lost dreams there, place them in His hands. With Him is where all our yesterday's must be left. There may be things we cannot get past in a day, but we need not be held captive in the new day by what took place yesterday. We may still deal with the circumstances and effects, but we do so dependent upon the infinite resources of the One who is our Source. In each new day we can live in the fullness of His healing, wholeness, hope, and comfort. Regardless of what took place yesterday, we can arise, shine, and behold the glory of the Lord to shine upon us. 

Charles Wesley, in his hymn, "And Can It Be," wrote, "Long my imprisoned spirit lay. Fast bound in sin and nature's night. Thine eyes diffused a quickening ray. I woke, the dungeon flamed with light. My chains fell off, my heart was free. I rose, went forth, and followed Thee." Let us come out of the dungeons of our yesterdays. Let us be free of the weight of our chains of disappointment, failures, fears, and our sins of yesterday. Let us arise. Our light, the light of Christ has come in this, our new day. The glory of the Lord has risen upon us. Let it rise upon you.

I write this on the morning of my new day. Is it your new day as well, or, do you remain in yesterday's chains? Bring your yesterday's, all of them, to His cross. Leave them there. This is a new day, filled with His light, love, hope, and power. Arise and shine. Your light has come. His glory has risen upon you. Leave the dungeon of all your yesterday's.....and come forth!

Blessings,
Pastor O