Over the holidays, amongst the many Christmas movies, I also found myself watching Back to the Future for the 400th time, probably. Honestly, it’s a near-perfect movie. The DeLorean, the flux capacitor, Doc Brown’s wild hair—it’s all iconic. But the heart of the story is what gets me: the idea of jumping back in time to fix your mistakes. Do you ever wish you had a time-traveling DeLorean? Maybe you’d set the clock back to avoid saying the wrong thing, making that poor decision, or walking down a path you wish you hadn’t taken. I get it. The idea of erasing your past mistakes is appealing. But here’s the thing: even if you had a DeLorean, you wouldn’t need it. God has a better way.

Isaiah 43:18-19 says: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”

This verse is God telling you, Stop looking backward. You don’t need to rewrite your story because He’s already redeeming it. Every failure, every wrong turn, every regret—He can use it all to shape the future He has planned for you. In Back to the Future, Marty McFly learns that it’s not about fixing everything perfectly in the past; it’s about living differently when you return. The same is true for you. God doesn’t want you stuck obsessing over what you can’t change. He’s calling you forward, into the “new thing” He’s doing right now.

So, as you step into this new year, leave the past where it belongs—in the past. No time machines needed. God’s grace is more than enough to cover what’s behind you and lead you into what’s ahead. Trust Him with your future and step boldly into the plans He’s already setting into motion. After all, your story’s not over—it’s just getting started.