Let go and let God.
April 10, 2009 by Pastor Jerry
Filed under Blog with Pastor Jerry
There are times when God is willing to do something in our lives, but we refuse to let go of our past. The truth is God cannot truly answer our prayers if we are still holding on to the root cause of our pain. Give it all to God and let Him do wonders in your lives. Is there something you are holding on to right now…pain, betrayal, rough experiences, grudge against someone, etc? Give it all to the Lord and let Him handle it. Are you holding unto something right now; let’s talk about it.
Pastor Jerry, you are right! Painful experiences are hindrances that prevent us from progressing in our Christian walk, just as a chain keeps us stuck in a yard. It’s limiting. Let go of it! That is the answer. How else can we receive the blessings of God and enjoy His wonderful gifts, such as joy, peace, and healing, when we refuse to let go of a painful situation? Two scriptures come to mind.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. (1 Peter 5:6-8 KJV)
“And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me nor listen to my voice. For they will say, Jehovah has not appeared to you. And Jehovah said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A staff. And He said, Throw it on the ground. And he threw it on the ground. And it became a serpent. And Moses ran from it. And Jehovah said to Moses, Put forth your hand and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand, — so that they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” (Exodus 4:1-5 Modern KJV) The ground Moses stood upon was holy ground (Exodus 3:5) so Moses placed an ordinary wooden shepherd’s staff upon the alter of God; God took that simple staff and transformed it, giving back to Moses a rod of power! Because Moses was obedient and gave away that ordinary wooden staff in his hand, trusting God.
Every time I catch myself holding onto something — which might be better let go — I think of a monkey trap. In Africa, monkeys are caught by placing a banana inside of a heavy or nailed down box with a whole cut in one side, just large enough to slide in a banana. When the monkey reaches inside and grabs the banana, his fist becomes too large to pull it and the banana back outside — all the monkey has to do to regain his freedom is to let go of the banana! But the monkey will screech and howl at zoo keepers, as they approach with a cage, holding onto the thing the monkey thinks is best!
Isn’t a painful past, a betrayal, a grudge, or a rough experience just a banana? What good does it do? Let go of it! Give it to God!
Yes, it’s easier said than done. But don’t let the devil cheat and steal from you! When we hold onto pain, fear, a grudge, or anything negative, it is bondage — not freedom. And bondage is not God’s will! The Lord Jesus Christ said, “The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:10-11 Modern KJV) God expects us to do our part; if we trust Him in faith, God promises to do His part! And remember, you are not alone! God is there! And nothing you have done is worse than any other person’s sin; every human faces problems. “No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13 Modern KJV)
I’ve had to do it myself. I had a dear friendship go up in flames. For ten months, we had almost no contact and certainly no friendly conversation. The truth is, we both made mistakes. Apart, we both prayed for a restoration that seemed impossible — but the impossible is God’s specialty! (Matthew 19:26) Individually, we trusted God. We let go of the painful end to our friendship and let God decide what to do. And in God’s timing, our friendship has now been restored anew! Praise God! We are again serving God in prayerful togetherness, one step at a time! It took letting go of the past, investing in time, patience, faith, and fervent prayers. But the rewards were worth the sacrifice!
I still have another relationship to ask God to restore. Many years ago, I had a “falling out” inside my family. My grandmother (father’s side) and I haven’t spoken in nearly a quarter-century. (I was not a Christian at the time.) I’m revealing this now to let you know that I’m flawed yet I’m living and walking each day with Jesus, trusting God’s timing; I’m not just “mouthing off.” By the grace of God, I hope to one day give a praise report on this relationship, too!