In 1 Samuel chapter 16, FATHER spoke:
1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
The process of mourning is the act of releasing the past. Samuel had anointed Saul to be king and Saul had ultimately compromised The Word and failed. Samuel also felt like a failure and was wallowing in self pity when FATHER spoke to him and told him to “fill your horn with oil” and go forth for HE had other tasks at hand for him to accomplish.
We all have failures and disappointments in our past but we must let them go and no longer dwell on them. We must quit allowing those past failures to consume our focus but instead we must look ahead in order that we fulfill our calling. By THE SPIRIT Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 5:
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
We too must fill our horn with oil and be filled with THE SPIRIT of FATHER. We must walk in Love, in Light, and in Wisdom. In order to do this we must be filled with HIS SPIRIT which HE is willing to give to those who sincerely ask. In Luke chapter 11 Jesus spoke:
9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
We are told to use the days wisely- make the best use of time. Does making the best use of time include dwelling in the past? A resounding “No”! It is time to get over the past and move on. FATHER had to nudge Samuel for his disappointment was not the end of the world and FATHER had chosen a replacement. We must bury the past and release it once and for all. We must no longer expend time and energy on past mistakes and embrace what FATHER has for us today. If someone has wronged you then forgive them and pull up any root of bitterness growing within you. Clear the decks and move on. There is much to do for the Kingdom and we must not let our past hinder us any longer. Shred the regret for this is a new day behold all things are new.
If Peter had dwelled and stayed in his past he would not have been used to do mighty works in the Book of Acts. Thankfully he released the past and was filled with The Holy Spirit. By THE SPIRIT it is written in Acts chapter 3:
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.
If Peter who spent 3 1/2 years with Jesus then denied Him 3 times could release his past and move on, then so can we. After he released his past and his horn was filled with oil he did great and mighty works for Christ. We are called to do the same.