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 – Matthew 14:22-36; Leviticus 22-23; Proverbs 31
Everyone makes mistakes. We all at one time or the other have made mistakes in life. There are things we regret and wish we never did, but then, no one can undo the past, so rather than crying over past mistakes, we let go of them, move on and try to make the most of the future. The most important thing is to know that God is not yet through with us. With Him, we still have a future and a hope.
Dwelling on past regrets will only hinder your progress. What happened is now in the past, and it’s important to learn from your mistake and move on to become a stronger and wiser you. The good news is that though the righteous may fall seven times, he gets up and keeps going forward. 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. With God on your side, you can still make it in life, you can still succeed. God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ever ask or think.
Jackie Robinson is known as one of the greatest baseball players in history, but Jackie started life on the wrong track. As a teenager, he was the leader of a street gang that majored in petty thefts and malicious mischiefs. The gang members became such a miserable trouble in the neighborhood, that to the police, Jackie became a priority take-down. However, Jackie’s mother was a woman of powerful Christian faith. She committed him to God in prayer and believed God for a miracle. Indeed, the Lord answered her prayers. Gradually, faith in God began to register in Jackie as he turned from his evil ways and turned his attention back to his studies and sports. An exceptional base runner, he became the highest-paid athlete in Dodgers’ history, and his success in the major leagues opened the door for other African-American players. He is celebrated today as a legendary sportsman.
Many times when men see the glory, they don’t know the story. Jackie started out on the wrong track, he could have lived and died as an unknown criminal, but God’s grace intervened. God gave him a change of identity and change of story and where once he was despised, he became celebrated. This should be an encouragement to parents over the destiny of their children. No matter how unpromising your child may seem now, know that God is able to do a work of grace in that young life, so don’t give up in your prayers; God will give you an amazing testimony over that child.
In the Holy Bible, we also read the story of Jacob, who started off on the wrong lane, as a supplanter, with a bad reputation but when he encountered God, God gave him a change of name and a change of story. We see the same Jacob transformed to become Israel, a patriarch and monumental figure in the Bible.
This is to say that there is no situation so bad that God cannot change it; there is no destiny so battered that God cannot recover it. God is in the business of second chances.
It doesn’t matter what has happened to you in the past or how negative your story has been, what matters is what God says about you, and God has the final say over your destiny. That is to say you can always retrace your steps and head in the right direction. 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 start. No matter how long that situation may have lingered, you can always make a U-turn and head back on the path of destiny God has for you. Don’t let the past label you or condemn you to a life of running on the wrong track. You can make a comeback.
You may not be able to undo the past, but you can change the present and the future with the Lord’s help. Jeremiah 29:11 says, God wants to give you “a future and a hope”, so allow God to heal your past and transform your life into something beautiful. He did it for Jacob, He did it for Jackie Robinson, He can also do it for you.
PRAYER: Lord, I know You have so much in store for me, 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.
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God knows how to work everything together in your life for your own good
WORDBITE 222.
[ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK METAMORPHOSIS]