Your past is a springboard to greatness

Like most us in America, I’ve seen movies and read books but still it is hard for me to imagine what it would really be like to be a physical slave for a prolonged period of time: Especially a second, third or fourth generation slave.  The spiritual, emotional and physical effects of those who have suffered in that way must be horrific.  In fact, I am sure that, as a nation, America is still reeling from the spiritual fallout of when slavery was practiced in a horrific manner that it was here within our borders.

Most try to forget trauma
In most cases, when people go through traumatic experiences, the natural approach is to try to just move on and forget about it.  But the problem is, on a natural, human level, you never really forget about it: You might mask it some, but you don’t really forget it.  In some cases, it is “normal” for memories to surface even more as time goes on; sometimes decades later.

Along with remembering things “mentally”, even your physical body stores and remembers traumatic events even if your “mind” is able to let it go.

However, we see in Deuteronomy 15:15 that Yahweh God told Israel to remember that they were enslaved:  You might say that He gave them “permission” to do that.

 And you shall remember that you were a bondman in the land of Egypt, and
Yahweh your God redeemed you: therefore I command you this thing today.
Deuteronomy 15:15 

Inner Healing
Inner healing isn’t necessarily about “forgetting” the past.  Rather it is about allowing Jesus / Yeshua to carry the burden of it while you are moving forward in life, “in Him”.  This is contrary to human nature and so it can be challenging to do.  Sometimes we might even need a little help doing it; but it can be done.

Yeshua took the trauma for YOU
Though it can be challenging, and it usually doesn’t happen overnight, I want to encourage you to take comfort.  Remember that you are the very reason that Jesus / Yeshua voluntarily endured what He did throughout His life, death, and resurrection.

Surely He has born our (sorrows) pains, and carried our (sorrows) sicknesses:
yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5

Then why doesn’t it feel that way?
Perhaps you read that verse and thought back to a time when you were shaken.  Maybe you feel that Yeshua didn’t really sustain you in that time.

Does that mean that the verse is untrue?  Absolutely not.  Rather what it means is that you were either spiritually or physically (due to age, etc.) incapable of properly processing the event.  After all, the fact that you are reading this is evidence that you DID make it through and perhaps Yeshua is even using this article to help bring your healing into fullness.  Healing is often a process.

It’s not so much the event as much as how you process it
In most cases, it is not the actual physical event that is the real problem for us as much as it is our inability to process it.   A key to inner healing is to reconsider the event through the eyes of God’s truth.

While I have never been a physical slave, In a very real way I was a spiritual slave of the satan for quite some time.  I hate him: but he did have me fooled for quite some time.  What made that situation particularly bad is that for a large portion of that time, I didn’t even know it.  In many ways, spiritual or emotionally slavery can be just as traumatic as physical enslavement.

Seeing life through God’s perspective makes all the difference.  In this way, eventually we can come to know that:

God didn’t just fix your past, He set you free from it! 

There is an old saying that “there is no way to go but up”.  I am not saying that you are at the bottom.

However, I am encouraging you to embrace the reality that you can use your past as a springboard for the future.  In Yeshua, from wherever you are, the sky is the limit!

Now That’s worth remembering!

Prayer: Thank you Yeshua for looking into time and sacrificing yourself for me, so that the trials and tribulations of my past could be buried with you so that we can live a new life together, forever.

Dr. Rayphe
God’s Kingdom Realm

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