Jeremiah 29:11 
 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.    

• DAILY READING –   John 1:35-51; 1 Chronicles 9; Haggai 2
Joshua Milton Blahyi nicknamed General ‘butt naked’, became known as one of the most inhumane and ruthless guerrilla leaders in Africa’s history. During Liberia’s 14 years of civil war, he led a feared band of boy soldiers, who would charge into battle naked, apart from boots and machine guns. They carried out war atrocities, that included child sacrifices and cannibalism.  

In 2008, the former warlord  appeared before the Liberia’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission  and confessed his past. He began killing when he was only 11 years old and would end up killing about 20,000 people. In a recent interview with Newsweek magazine, he recalled how he encountered Christ. In July 1996 the notorious warlord, was about to lead a band of 18 child fighters—the oldest of whom was 15 years—into battle against the rebel forces of former President Charles Taylor. And as was his custom, before going to war, he had made a human sacrifice supposed to bring protection and fortune in the battle. He had sent his boys down to the river to fetch water for him to wash the blood from his hands. And that was when suddenly he saw a vision where Jesus met him and told him to repent and live or refuse and die. When the vision ended, the general told his boys that they would not be going into battle that day:  He retreated from the battle front and  that would mark his last day on the battlefield.  Overcome by the power of God, the former warlord surrendered to Jesus. He became a Christian and would become known as Pastor Joshua Milton Blahyi. And he says if God can change him, then God can change anybody.

Indeed there is enough power in the blood of Jesus to cleanse any depth of sin, no matter how terrible. It doesn’t matter what you have done or where you have been, it’s never too late to make a U-turn and start anew in the right direction. Jesus came and died just to give us that opportunity for a fresh start.

In the bible we find several instances of people who had terrible pasts, yet God gave them a change of story. Jacob, started off on the wrong lane, as a supplanter, with a bad reputation. But when he encountered God, he received a change of name and a change of story. The same Jacob transformed to become Israel, a patriarch and monumental figure in the bible. We also saw the story of Saul, who persecuted the church and murdered believers, and when he encountered Christ his name was changed to Paul, and he became a chief champion of the faith he once persecuted. 

We all have sinned and made mistakes at one time or the other in life. The good news is that though the righteous may fall seven times, he gets up and keeps going forward. Dwelling on the past and regrets will only hinder your progress. It’s important to learn from your mistake and move on to become a stronger and wiser you. You can’t undo the past, but you can change the present and the future with the Lord’s help. With God you still have a future and a hope. Healing is possible. God is not yet through with you.  You may have been knocked down, but you don’t have to stay down. Get up, go back to the fork on the road where you missed it, take the right turn and continue on your journey. 

Make a definite decision to separate from sin and live holy by God’s grace. Flee from sin by all means, because sin is a sinker, it has sunk many destinies, but yours will not be next in Jesus Name. Desist from every appearance of evil and seek righteousness and holiness. 

With God on your side, no matter how terrible your past may have been, you still can succeed in life. 

In Jeremiah 29:11 God says ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.’

God wants to give you “a future and a hope”. So allow Him to heal you of the past and transform your life into something beautiful.  God  loves you and has an amazing future in store for you. God can turn your mistakes into your miracles. And when He restores you, He does so in a way that suddenly you are walking in the light and you can hardly recall how dark your life was. And never forget that God does not consult your past to bless your present and your future. When God restores, He gives you a complete change of story that reflect only His glory. 
It doesn’t matter what has happened to you in the past or how negative your story has been, you can always retrace your steps and head in the right direction. Don’t let the past label you or condemn you to a life of running on the wrong track. There is no situation so bad that God cannot change, there is no destiny so battered that God cannot recover. God is in the business of second chances. 

You can recover from poverty, disease, disfavor etc. you can recover from a life of mediocrity and low impact, and move forward. You can recover from broken relationships and hurts and have a fresh beginning. You can make a comeback from sin into a life of holiness and righteousness. .

With God it is never too late. What matters is what God says about you, and God has the final say over your destiny. That is why we go to His Word to hear what He is saying concerning us. The Word of God is what empowers us to live righteous. Therefore make up your mind today to begin to study The Word like never before. By the power of The Word your mind will be renewed and you will begin to live a life that continually pleases God.  

PRAYER: Lord, please enable me to meditate constantly on your Word so that my heart can be filled with the faith I need for a supernatural change of story. Indeed by Your grace my life is being transformed from glory to glory in Jesus Name.   

QUOTE 

God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good 

 WORDBITE 222. 

[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS]