Don’t let the devil make you a slave of your past!

Robert Heffler made an illustration: There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. And he was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged, he headed back for lunch. As he was walking back he saw Grandma’s pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved. In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister watching – Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day Grandma said, “Sally, let’s wash the dishes.” But Sally said, “Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't you Johnny?” And then she whispered to him, “Remember the duck?”

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said, “I’m sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.” But Sally smiled and said, “Well, that’s all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help.” And she whispered again, “Remember the duck?” So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally’s, he finally couldn’t stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, “Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love you, I forgave you. But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.”

Exactly the same way, Jesus Christ was standing at the window. And saw the whole thing. He saw everything you did. But because He loves you, He is very willing to forgive you as you confess to Him. He doesn’t want you to be a slave to the devil. Stop allowing the devil torment you over your past sins. Once you confess your past sins to God, He no longer remembers any of them. (Heb. 10:17)

“Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do; forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)