"The Yesterdays of Life"

 

“The Yesterdays of Life”

 

In 1965 Paul McCartney and John Lennon of “The Beatles” composed the hit song “Yesterday”. It’s a ballad about a broken romantic relationship, the heartache it brought and the desire that the clock be turned back to days of happiness. Many of us wish we could go back to more trouble-free times rather than face the struggles of present-day life but, revisionist history notwithstanding, we can’t change the past. But we can certainly learn from it (“…Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us….”—Romans 15:4). In the words of Rick Warren, “God never wastes a hurt.”

In his 1973 book The Seven Last Words of the Church or We Never Tried It That Way Before Pastor Ralph Neighbour wrote of “the yesterdays of life” which brought a feeling of comfort and were comparatively non-threatening. But we can’t stay in the past—we must live in the now and look ahead in faith. A cruise ship’s captain once observed, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present.” Great words of wisdom.

In Isaiah 43 God addressed His unfaithful people through His prophet: “This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters…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 desert and streams in the wasteland.” (Verses 16,18-19, emphasis added). “A “new thing” suggests something different—in other words change. We might want to stay in yesterday but as time marches on change is inevitable (it’ll happen whether we welcome it or not), intimidating (it makes us uneasy) but also inspiring (it can bring us to a new level in our faith in and walk with Christ.

While the world in which we live is in constant flux we can be thankful that Who or what really matters doesn’t change: God (“I the Lord do not change.”—Malachi 3:6); Jesus (“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”—Hebrews 13:8); the Holy Spirit (“…the eternal Spirit….”—Hebrews 9:14); God’s Word (“Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”—Psalm 119:89); God’s purposes (“…God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.”—Romans 11:29). So let’s allow God to teach us from life’s yesterdays to prepare us for today and tomorrow.

 

Grace and Blessings!

Jim McMillan

(See “Life’s Gilgals” and “A Personal Gilgal” to see how these principles worked in my life.)