Leaving the Old Behind

Stepping Into the New There is a story about a traveller who reached a long, steep hill carrying several heavy bags. As he climbed, he grew exhausted. A passer-by asked, “Why don’t you put some of those bags down?” The traveller responded, “I’ve carried them this far—I might as well keep going.” But the truth was, the very things he refused to release were slowing him down from reaching the top. Many of us live like that traveller. We hold onto old hurts, old failures, old seasons, and even old successes—carrying weight God never intended us to keep. The Israelites did the same. Although God was leading them into a new season of restoration, they kept looking back at their past—both their pain and their former glory. But God said, “Forget the former things… I am doing a new thing.” God’s “new thing” often requires letting go. Letting go of disappointment. Letting go of bitterness. Letting go of what didn’t work. Letting go of who we used to be.