Lord, you are my portion
and my cup of blessing;
you hold my future.
The boundary lines have fallen for me
in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
Psalm 16:5-6 (CSB)
I’m not proud of a lot in my past, but you know what? My past is what makes me who I am because it defines the boundaries of my life. The enemy tries to use my past to derail my future because he’s absolutely terrified I’ll be unstoppable if I get this right. He’ll use yours against you too. The enemy will want you so focused on you and your pain that you can’t begin to be there for someone else. So even though I’m not proud of everything I’ve ever done, I’m incredibly grateful for my life and my inheritance.
Our one job is to possess our land, to own our inheritance, to accept it. Every single, messy inch of it. This means we have to stop hiding from our past. It’s hard to face the past. We all have things we desperately wish weren’t there. But when we surrender our lives to God, He’ll redeem our past for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
I cringe when I recall the life I lived in the decades before I accepted Jesus as my Savior. But I know those days shaped me into the woman I am today. I can easily connect with a woman dealing with infertility because I dealt with it too. It was a hard, hard season in my life, but God got me through, and if I can help even one woman get through it, then the pain and the tears were worth it!
There is nothing on earth you’ve gone through that He doesn’t understand. He knows all about your past and He knows about your future too — the good, the bad, the ugly. Every single bit of your land and life has a purpose. And you can trust Him with all of it.
This excerpt is by Kate Battestelli, published in the (in)courage Devotional Bible and the Summer (in) the Psalms Devotional Journal.
We’re journeying through the book of Psalms this summer, and we hope you will too! Every Thursday, several of our contributors will hold a video conversation about what they’re learning from a selected psalm. These conversations are so good for our souls, and just plain fun! Find the full list of videos here as they go live — the very first one is ready and waiting for you!
If you haven’t started your Summer (in) the Psalms journey yet, it’s definitely not too late! There’s plenty of summer left, and so many wonderful truths waiting in the Psalms. We hope you’ll join us.
Grab your copy of the Summer (in) the Psalms 40-Day Devotional Journal for just $7.99! This beautiful printed journal, only available on Amazon, includes forty days of reading selections from Psalms, twenty full devotions from the (in)courage Devotional Bible, and daily reflection questions with lined pages for journaling your answers. This journal is an all-inclusive, one stop shop for your summer studying!
We can’t wait to spend Summer (in) the Psalms with you.
Oh, how I can identify with your devotion. I, also, came to know Him late (age 37) after a life of sin. The enemy WILL NOT keep me in the past because Jesus has brought me into Himself and is the victor.
Amen, Nancy, he won’t! Jesus IS the victor!
Hey Ms. Kate! So fun to find you here! With all I’m living through that’s unthinkable and with me needing to leave so much of it unspoken… this truth has been one of my comforts. That Jesus understands. And even if He is the ONLY one, at least I have 1 Friend who knows. Thank you for sharing this!
So good to see you here, Danita 🙂 He fully understands, every single bit and He alone knows every heartache and every moment of loneliness and sorrow. But He also knows all that’s in the future for you. He’s getting much future joy set up for you though it may be hard to imagine right now. Hold tightly to the one who’s holding you. Bless you!
Thank you for this. I needed some hope to hold on to. Thank you!
Praying for you!
Thank you kind and beautiful ladies for sharing and for posting what has been laid on your heart. Timely and uplifting. xx
Thank you, M, blessings to you!
I am glad to be saved. I especially when I look back at the life I used to live and what I used to do. I glad Jesus is in my life. I look at my family and wish they could see Jesus in me and want what I have now. They think their lives are ok. They live I say in the ways of the world. God told me and showed me they will not change until they get saved. They just think of themselves and their families. As long as they are ok and their world is ok. That is all that matters. Where as now that I am saved I care for the people they say why Dawn do you care for that person. Why Dawn do you do that. I do it because Jesus did it in his day. I am Child of his. Jesus loves them and I am am to love them as well. Show them the love of Jesus. My family would say Dawn stop it. But I don’t listen to them. My sister said to one time Dawn why don’t you up grade your laptop and get updates one it out of date. I thought no. This were we are so different see you know my sister is not saved. I know God wouldn’t want me to. When the laptop I have is working fine it might be a little out of date. But I look at this way. There are people in our world today who don’t even have a laptop. Who are struggling to make end meet. Who don’t have a roof over their heads. God wouldn’t want me spending money on something I don’t need too when I have good laptop that works. Yes it might be old but it still works does all I want it to do. My sister if her laptop only few years old like has the money would say must get new one. So she would. I think the way God would have me. I rather put the extra when at Church to the ministry work in our Church to help people less well of then me in other parts of the world. When I don’t need a laptop. God knows that. Why waist God good money in buying something you don’t need. It God who gave me the money in the first place. So it goes to show how God has changed my thinking. If was not saved. I probably would have thought like my sister. But until the laptop brakes and is unfixable. I will be keeping it not spending my money on something I don’t need just up grade to a better on. That greed in my eyes. God I know would not want me to do that. God wants me to be thankful for what I have. When there are people in our world who don’t even have a laptop or heard of laptop. Plus don’t have roof over their heads etc. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little xx
Bless you, Dawn, you have a generous heart. Keep praying for your family. I’m sure they see Jesus in you. They may not understand fully yet but they will. Keep praying and watch the Lord work in their hearts. God’s timing is always perfect! You are precious to Jesus and I pray He blesses you abundantly!
What comfort there is that he understands everything we are going through .
He truly does, Theresa! Thank goodness!
Kate,
I believe most of us have a past we aren’t proud of-I know I do. I was the one who would say “I’m a Christian as I went to church Sunday.” Watch my life during the week & you couldn’t tell. Came to know God & get baptized at 39. It wasn’t until after I went through some trials with my aging parents health/dementia/psych issues that my faith & trust muscles were grown. Now I have a reverence & awe for Him. Those trials have had a huge effect on my life. God has blessed me with an ICU Step down clerical position. I get to help RNs, CNAs & patients with their day. Empathy is there for what some patients & their families are going through. Also was born with two punctured ear drums. Couldn’t hear at all. With the advent of Christian music & some hand signs I learned a little sign language. Now I do sign language to music for my church. He will use your past to mold your future.
Blessings 🙂