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Don't Long for Past Days Encouragement Call Ecclesiastes 7:10 · Life For Toledo

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  This is Pastor Daniel Stevenson. I'm director of the Southside Life Station and pastor of New Heights Fellowship Baptist Church of East Toledo.
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  And you're receiving this message because you opted in to be encouraged.
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  In Ecclesiastes 7-10 it says,
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  Do not say, Why is it that the former days were better than these?
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  For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.
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  There's no wisdom in looking at the past and saying the past was better than the present.
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  The fact is, since you can't do anything at all in the past, you're locked in, not free,
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  jailed, if you will, into the actions that you've already perpetrated in the past.
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  But in the present, you're completely free to do whatever it is that you need to do in the moment.
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  This is the day that the Lord has made.
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  God knows better than we do what this day is like in the grand scheme of things.
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  The past transitioned to the present and his journey is not to be lamented.
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  In other words, that which went before has gone away and gone behind.
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  And now it's become the present.
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  And yes, the present takes into account many factors from the past,
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  but the present must be used to glorify God.
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  We cannot live in regret, but should rejoice for the possible future that the present represents.
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  And the first most awesome thing is that we can choose to live for God in the present,
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  regardless of our circumstances.
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  Oh God, how we've longed for former days, high school days, romantic days,
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  good weather days, better finances days.
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  We realize now it's not from wisdom that we ask about that.
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  Lord, help us be free of our presuppositions that there were better times in the past
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  and realize that this is the day that you have made and be busy living in it for you.
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  In Jesus name, Amen.