Maybe you have been paralyzed by fearful stories and events. Perhaps the enemy has reminded you that the same outcome will be in your life if you follow God. Fight back! Do not allow the devil to rob your destiny through fear. When David was afraid of his future due to stories of the past, he said, Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me. Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. (Psalm 143:9–10)

Whatever situation you face, the Word of God provides a sound cure for it. We must realize that the future is what I call “virgin territory.” No man has yet walked into it. The future is bright and does not have to be tainted by what we have already lived through. Isaiah 43:18–19 speaks specifically of your future: “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing.” The apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:13–14,

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,  and  reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Roberts Liardon tells us that Paul recognized the power of his memory, good and bad. He made a statement in those verses that spoke loudly to his soul. He emphasized that, no matter what else he accomplished, his first priority was to forget the things that lay behind him and press on into the future.

Roberts Liardon tells us that as leaders and believers, we must set our faces like flint and refuse to subject ourselves to the past. All of heaven will work with us in our endeavor. Attitudes such as that attract the power of God. It draws strength and power into us. It produces invincible faith and will move mountains.

You have the authority of your memory. You will choose the thoughts you meditate on. You were sent to the earth for a purpose. Do not lose it from a careless memory. Gird up the loins of your mind, and conquer the ground placed before you!