Seven steps to LET IT GO

One of the things that the Lord has dealing with me about is my tendency to hold onto things. What kind of things? Bitterness, grudges, hurts from the past, offenses, loser mentality, fear, doubt, worry, negative attitude¸ just to name a few. Over the past several weeks at First Assembly, I have been preaching a series on “Making it THROUGH the wilderness.” It has been a study of the Children of Israel’s wanderings in the Wilderness. Before they made it to the Promised Land, there were several things that they had to get rid of. They had to learn to LET IT GO.


I believe there are some reading this blog today that need to learn the same lesson. We hold onto to things that are stunting our spiritual growth and progress. Years pass by, and we wonder what has happened to us spiritually. If we look closely, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, we will see things that we need to LET GO of.



In Psalm 51, David gives us SEVEN STEPS to “LET IT GO.” You see King David had an adulterous fling with Bathsheba, and then basically committed murder by having her husband killed in the line of duty with his military. He thought he had gotten by with it, but God sent a prophet by the name of Nathan to David to confront his sin. Psalm 51 shows us the way that David responded. It shows us how he LET IT GO. Let’s look at it together today. I will use the Message version of the Bible to take a look at these steps.


Step #1: Learn to repent (v. 1-5)

Psalm 51:1-5 Generous in love--God, give grace! Huge in mercy--wipe out my bad record. (2) Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. (3) I know how bad I've been; my sins are staring me down. (4) You're the One I've violated, and you've seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil. You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair. (5) I've been out of step with you for a long time, in the wrong since before I was born.

If we truly want to LET IT GO, we must learn to repent. That doesn’t just mean that we are sorry we got caught, it means to “change your mind, and direction.” I must be willing to admit that I have been wrong, and then change my thinking and the direction that I have been going. I must CHOOSE today, to ask God to forgive me of my offense, grudge, fear, worry, etc, then make plans to CHANGE. Insanity is doing the same things you have always done and expecting different results. If you TRULY want to change, then you have to change. There are some things that we do that we need to do different. If you are battling offense, then STOP dwelling on it, and realize that it is sin and is hindering your walk with God. REPENT of it, change your mind and direction. That is the first step.

Step #2: Excavate the parasites in your heart (v. 6)

Psalm 51:6 What you're after is truth from the inside out. Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

The battle of “Letting go” is on the inside. The enemy loves to attack our spiritual hearts with little parasites like worry, doubt, anger, fear, offenses that don’t seem to be causing many problems for us. But the Word of God gives us warnings about this:

Proverbs 4:23 Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts.

Song of Solomon 2:15 Then you must protect me from the foxes, foxes on the prowl, Foxes who would like nothing better than to get into our flowering garden.

The ESV calls the foxes, little foxes that spoil the vine. We must make sure that we get rid of all of the little things that are attacking us spiritually. Set a watch over your heart. Take the little things seriously.

Step #3: Trust the blood of Jesus (v. 7-9)

Psalm 51:7-10 Soak me in your laundry and I'll come out clean, scrub me and I'll have a snow-white life. (8) Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. (9) Don't look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health.

The Christian is washed in God’s “laundry” through the precious blood of Jesus. Learn the importance of every single day, and several times a day, “pleading the blood of Jesus” over your mind and your attitudes. Bring your troubles to the throne room of God, and LEAVE THEM THERE.

Step #4: Invite God to right your wrong spirit (v. 10)

Psalm 51:10 (MSG) God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

It is so easy to go through life with anything but a RIGHT spirit. We can have: wrong spirit, wounded spirit, offended spirit, angry spirit, jealous spirit, frustrated spirit, lustful spirit, greedy spirit, lying spirit, etc. We need to, like King David, invite God to help your spirit to be renewed and made RIGHT again.

Step #5: Trust God to return joy into your life (v. 12)

Psalm 51:12 (MSG) Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails!

Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

So many of God’s people have lost their joy, and they are just going through the motions in life. They are discouraged, depressed, defeated, and wondering where God is. My friends, we need a good dose of the Joy of the Lord. Joy is different than happiness. Happiness depends upon your “happen stance” or circumstance. If you have happy circumstances, then you are happy. If not, then you are miserable. The Joy of the Lord isn’t dependent upon circumstances; it is founded upon the Lord! Regardless of what you are facing today, why don’t you make up your mind to LET IT GO by asking God to return the “Joy of thy salvation” to be returned into your life. My friend, if you have been washed by the blood of Jesus, and you are on your way to heaven, that is “shouting ground!”

Step #6: Give your testimony regularly (v. 13)

Psalm 51:13 (MSG) Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home.

Psalm 51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Make up your mind that you will allow God to use your struggle and victory to help other people.
Step #7: Outwardly express your praise to God (v. 14-19)

Psalm 51:14-19 Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. (15) Unbutton my lips, dear God; I'll let loose with your praise. (16) Going through the motions doesn't please you, a flawless performance is nothing to you. (17) I learned God-worship when my pride was shattered. Heart-shattered lives ready for love don't for a moment escape God's notice. (18) Make Zion the place you delight in, repair Jerusalem's broken-down walls. (19) Then you'll get real worship from us, acts of worship small and large, Including all the bulls they can heave onto your altar! A David psalm, when Doeg the Edomite reported to Saul,"David's at Ahimelech's house."

Simply praise God daily and often. He is worthy of our praise. The enemy will do everything he can do rob you in this one area. Do not allow him to. Make up your mind that “I WILL praise the Lord.” There is victory in praise!

I hope you will consider these seven steps from God’s Word today, and LET IT GO! Blessings.

Pastor Rusty