You Are The Beloved of God, A Royal Priesthood, A City Built Upon A Hill That Cannot Be Moved
Ephesians 4:22-23 ( is a very encouraging passage of scripture. It says, "Strip yourselves of your former nature.… And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude]".
In other words, you can overcome any negative situation or pain from your past if you will just get with God and say, “Yes, this happened in my life. But God is on my side, and I know He has a good plan for me.”
In fact, with God’s help, you can do anything within His will for you. I think a lot of us try to do things in our own strength without God. But in order to have the Godly determination we need to get results, we need to come under the leadership of the Holy Spirit―and we need to have a vision.
The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they couldn’t see God’s vision for their life. They thought of everything in terms of their past. In fact, they complained to Moses that they wanted to go back to Egypt and return to a life of slavery because that’s what they knew. But God wanted them to get a new vision―a land flowing with milk and honey.
If you want to see change happen in your life, you’ve got to get a vision that goes beyond what you’ve already seen and experienced. And a good place to start is the promises in God’s Word. There are thousands of them, and you can claim each one of them for yourself.
We need to learn how to encourage ourselves in the Word. That’s what David did in Psalm 27:13-14. ( Even in the midst of his troubles he said, I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord (NIV).
Our hope should never be based on what we can see or what’s in our past. Our hope should be based on the Word of God and His promises for our life.
Isaiah 43:18-19 ( says, Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (NIV).
God is always doing something new. You need to use your gift of spiritual discernment to follow His plan and stop following our own thoughts and feelings. Glance at your circumstance and then Put your Focus on Jesus. God has a bright future in store for you.
Scripture for Meditation
Psalm 27:13-14 (KJV) — "I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." David teaches us that belief in God's goodness is what keeps us from spiritual collapse. When you are tempted to faint under the weight of your pain, beloved, it is your faith in God's promises—not your feelings—that will sustain you.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) — "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." This is not merely spiritual poetry—it is a declaration of your identity. Your past does not define your future because you have been remade in Christ. The old pain, the old patterns, the old you—they belong to yesterday.
Isaiah 43:18-19 (KJV) — "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?" God is not asking you to forget what happened; He is calling you to stop rehearsing it. He has already prepared something fresh and healing for you if you will release your grip on yesterday.
Walking It Out
Write down three promises from God's Word that speak directly to your healing. Don't just think about them—write them in your own hand where you will see them daily. This becomes a tangible declaration that you are claiming God's word for your restoration, not settling for your circumstances.
Identify one area where you are still thinking like Egypt (your past slavery) instead of Canaan (your promised healing). Name it honestly. Is it a relationship you keep returning to? A thought pattern that paralyzes you? A fear you haven't surrendered? Once you name it, speak aloud: "I release this. God has something better for me."
Find one person this week and encourage them with a scripture promise. As you give away the healing word you have received, you reinforce it in your own spirit. This is how we learn to encourage ourselves in the Lord—by becoming encouragers to others.
A Prayer for You
Father, I come before You today declaring that I am done living in the wilderness of my past. I strip off the old nature that keeps pulling me backward, and I put on the mind of Christ. Renew my spirit, Lord, and give me a vision that is so clear, so rooted in Your promises, that I cannot help but move forward into the healing and wholeness You have prepared for me. Help me to encourage myself in Your Word when no one else is watching, and give me the courage to wait on You without turning back. In Jesus' name, Amen.
About the Author
Rev. Nicholas S. Richards is an ordained minister, author of Destiny DNA, and founder of ROHO. For over 11 years, he has written more than 6,000 daily devotionals reaching believers worldwide. Learn more about Rev. Richards.