Thursday February 18


“He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”  Mt 13:58 NIV

Beware of “I-knew-you-when” people!

Isn’t it interesting how Jesus could work miracles everywhere except His own hometown? The problem wasn’t the location; it was the attitude of the people. The Bible says: “Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?’ they asked. ‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?’…And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor’” (vv. 54-57 NIV). So how did Jesus respond? He left them and moved on! Faith refuses to stay stuck in the past. Beware of “I-knew-you-when” people. When you let them define your world, they always make it smaller. They’ll try to keep you stuck at a stage in your life that’s passed and gone. They’ll try to define you on the basis of who you were, not who you’ve become—and certainly not who you may someday be. They’ll want you to linger with them in memory lane, and rob you of the momentum you need to soar. They’ll not permit you to embrace the future. Don’t let them. God wants to do great things in your life, but you need to move beyond the “good old days.” The past is past; it can’t be rewritten, it can only be replayed over and over. It’s time to write the rest of your story. The future lies before you like an uninhabited land waiting for the pioneers of destiny to explore it. So forge ahead!