God is the God of yesterday. He is the God of today. He is the God of tomorrow.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

Yesterday… I’ve heard it said if the past is still impacting your present then it isn’t the past.

There is a place I pass on my way to church that reminds me of my past. It isn’t a pleasant memory. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. The other day as I drove home from a worship team practice, it dawned on me that every time I drive by, which is quite a few times during the week, I recognize the spot and it makes me feel…well…yucky. The home that used to stand there was removed many years ago to make room for an apartment complex. The strange thing is I was never even inside the home when it was standing. But, I heard stories about the goings on in that place. They led to the painful goings on I experienced firsthand. The crazy thing is I didn’t realize how much driving by this place that used to be was impacting me. The location is close to halfway between my home and church. When I would pass it, I would spend the rest of the trip trying to focus on something else, pushing the ghostly memories that seemed to ooze from the spot to the back of my mind.

It suddenly dawned on me that I have never confessed my past…at least not all of it. I have confessed the sins that were my responsibility. I have owned up to my mistakes. I had, however never confessed the sins that were committed against me. I may not dwell on my past or live there anymore, but clearly if driving by a spot where a home I’d never been in used to sit is bringing painful memories to the forefront, something hasn’t been dealt with.

So I tattled.

I told God all about the hurtful words, the violent behavior, all of it I could remember. And some things I didn’t know I remembered.

If I want God to be the God of my yesterday, I have to give Him full reign over it. All of it. Every ugly detail. Satan wants us to be silent. He convinces us that silence is the best way to deal with our past by telling us that if we’re quiet it will all just eventually go away. If we don’t talk about it, no one else can be hurt by it. The danger is that guilt and pain grow in the quiet.

The solution is talking to God. Some of us go to great lengths to cover up our pasts. We spend so much energy hiding where we’ve been that we forget God has redeemed us. That’s what the cross was for, to cover our past.

Do you feel tied to your past, wondering if you’ll ever be able to move away from it? CONFESS…your sin…sins committed against you. Tell the Author of your story all about it. Don’t fear condemnation. Expect freedom. Remember, that’s what the cross was all about.