Ezekiel 23:8
For when she left Egypt, she did not leave her spirit of prostitution behind.
This verse kind of struck a chord with me as I read it this morning.
Throw in the fact of the photo I found to highlight today's posting and I think maybe there is something I need to learn.
The young girl is standing between two point. The place she is standing is illuminated by an various lights around her. Ahead is the entrance to a tunnel. Dark and foreboding...not knowing what is out there. Yet with this in front of her, the young girl is looking back. I guess you could say we are positioned in her past looking at her. She is looking back to her past....which she understands all to well. In spite of all the pain of her past....in spite of every bad choice and every bad consequences because of those choices....she is still operating from her past. For some, they refuse to let go of the past. Just like the woman in the verse from Ezekiel. She is leaving Egypt..a place of abject slavery and poverty. A terrible place with nothing but bad memories and the scars to show for every wrong ever done to her. But even with all of this, the one possession she takes with her is the spirit of prostitution. She did not leave this behind, but held tight to it and defined herself through it as she tried to move forward into her future.
How like addiction.
To hold on to our past and try to forge a new future through out own strength and will. Doesn't work, does it? No.
That is why we do a 4th and 5th step. To appropriately deal with our misdeeds and bad choices. Truth be known, lets call it what it really is. Our sin! Yet for some, holding onto to the old ways of thinking is not something we really want to surrender. Well, you don't have to. Keep hanging on to it and living by it. But don't complain when the wheels continue to come off and life doesn't change but, in fact, gets harder to deal with and harder to live.
That young girl in the photo has an incredible opportunity to break free, through the grace and salvation of Jesus. To walk away from her past free and clear and empowered to face whatever may be out there in the future.
Jeremiah 6:16 - Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls, but they said, "We will not walk in it."
Today, stop and ask God to show you the path you are suppose to travel for your life. Sometimes I think we find it foolish to actually, verbally, out loud talk to God. Well, it isn't foolish. Ask Him to show you the way. It probably will take you to an encounter with Jesus and from there on out into your future. How cool would that be? Just don't be like the ones in the latter part of the verse. The stubborn ones who proclaim, "We will not walk in it." Their choice only lead to their destruction and misery. I think we've had enough of those twins, don't you? Destruction and misery? Yes.
Free yourself from what has defined you for far to long...your past.
Did you do those deeds in the past?
Sure did.
Did you create the destruction and devastation to friends and family through your pursuit of drugs and alcohol? Yep, I'm responsible.
Then latch on to this Jesus and allow Him to help you break free so you can move on....
Good stuff...
God on you....
mb
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