You Left It in the River
Tuesday, September 15
You Left It in the River
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17
Do you remember the day you were baptized? Do you remember how free life felt when you came up out of that water? For a moment, it felt like nothing could stop you. You walked away believing you could conquer the world because you knew that God had changed something inside of you. Today, I want to remind you: you still have access to that freedom. You still have access to the same God who met you in that moment. You still have access to His grace, His forgiveness, His peace, and His power. Baptism was a picture of something powerful: the old life was buried, and a new life began. The song “Left It in the River” by Jamie MacDonald reminds me of this truth. The lyrics speak about carrying burdens for years, searching for freedom, and then encountering God at the river. When he stepped into the water, he left those chains behind.
There are times when life gets heavy. We pick up burdens we were never meant to carry. We carry guilt over things God has already forgiven. We carry shame over things He has already washed away. We carry fear, disappointment, regret, and the weight of trying to figure everything out on our own. But we don’t have to carry these around anymore, we can leave them in the care of the Father. We don’t have to keep carrying what we already surrendered to Him.
The guilt? Leave it in the river.
The shame? Leave it in the river.
The fear? Leave it in the river.
The mistakes of yesterday? Leave them in the river.
The weight you’ve been carrying for years? Give it to the Father.
Prayer for today: Heavenly Father, today, I choose not to pick up the heavy weights that have been set before me. I choose to leave them in the river. Lord, I surrender every burden, every fear, every regret, every disappointment, and every mistake that I have been carrying. I refuse to carry what You have already asked me to release. Thank You for Your grace that covers me, Your forgiveness that frees me, and Your love that reminds me that I am never alone. I don’t have to go back for what You delivered me from. Amen