Ephesians 2:19 [NIV]‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’
DAILY READING – – Hebrews 4:14-6:12; Genesis 49:1-50:26; Psalm 39
Billy Graham once wrote a story about a couple of friends who had gone fishing. After their fishing trip, they went to a café to have tea. One of them was animatedly describing his fishing experience and accidentally upturned the tea tray that the waitress brought them. The tea splashed across the whitewashed wall of the café. The man started apologizing for the accident. One of the other guests at the café walked over to the wall, picked up a pen and drew a magnificent deer with horns around the brown tea stain on the wall. That was Sir Edward, a renowned artist. Apparently, today people from all over the world go to that little café to see the masterpiece.
Every sin has its consequences and every failure has its aftermath. We all have times when we blew it, got involved in things that we shouldn’t have, and made a mess. But the grace of God can so color what we did that no man sees the mess. There is no sin so dark that the blood of Jesus cannot wash off. God is in the business of second chances. Men may write you off, because of past mistakes; you could even have written yourself off because of past failures. But as far as Jesus is concerned, there is life after failure. You can always begin again, you can always make a fresh start.
Imagine the horrible scenario of Peter’s three fold denial of the Lord himself.
The night sets in. The denials happen, one worse than the other. The cock crows three times. Jesus looks at Peter with love. Peter weeps bitterly. Then the morning breaks!
Despite the horrible night of Peter’s failures, the morning breaks and Peter is given a new day to do what is right, to repent of his sin and then to go on and do greater things.
Every time you get to the darkest hour of your night God gives you another day! You may have disappointed God, at some point, but God still believes in you, loves you and wants to give you a new hope and an amazing future. Don’t let the enemy trap you in guilt and condemnation. The accuser will constantly make you feel as if God will never forgive you, don’t believe those lies. God is able to restore you, and bring healing.
When we confess our sins He is able to forgive us. God is full of mercy. He doesn’t turn His back when you make mistakes. Just the opposite. He’ll not only help you clean up the mess you made, He’ll take it one step further and make miracles out of those mistakes.
If you learn from your mistakes, God can turn your mistakes into miracles. Instead of weeping or regretting for the life that has passed, learn from it and find your joy in The Lord. There is nothing you can do about the past except learn from it.
You can’t change what happened. You can’t go back and manipulate things to the way you would have wanted. But you can choose to let go of the past and go on to have a fulfilling life. Healing is possible and life is too precious to waste any of it regretting the past. God loves you, He cares for you. He doesn’t want you living in guilt and condemnation. Learn to hand over all issues of concern to God. When you do, He will turn your mourning into dancing and give you a brand new day.
PRAYER: Lord, I know you have so much in store for me, please enable me to put past failures and mistakes behind me and forge ahead into the glorious future of blessings You have planned for me in Jesus Name. .
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Nothing liberates like truth, the truth you know and act upon will set you free.-