“The sense of having done something irreversible tends to
make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point
in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are
mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have
not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into
despair. […] That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But
get up, and let’s go on to the next thing.” […] There will be experiences like
this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events
in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. […] “Get up,
and do the next thing.” If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It
is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.”
CHAMBERS
Have you ever failed in your commitment to the Lord? You had every intention of living fully for
Him and then somehow something disrupted that commitment. And when you realized what had happened you
felt great despair .. maybe even guilt .. maybe like a failure. Perhaps you sent yourself to a place that you
see as reserved for those who have failed in their faith. It may be that no one else suspects that this
has happened. It is a struggle that
happens within … unseen by others. You
have resolved yourself to the belief that there is no hope for you … that you
have missed your opportunity. But, you
only have to think of Peter to know that is not true. Recall that Peter was adamant about his
devotion to Jesus …
Matthew 26:31-35 “Then Jesus told them, “This very night you
will all fall away on account of me, […] Peter replied, “Even if all fall away
on account of you, I never will.” […] But Peter declared, “Even if I have to
die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the
same.”
Peter was committed to following Jesus, until the test came
that is. As you know, Peter failed in
his promise to Jesus. In John 21 we see
Jesus talking to Peter and charging Peter to serve Jesus by serving others. Even after Peter failed miserably. So what is the point. If you think that your usefulness to God is
lost, you don’t know God very well. Our future
is not determined by our failures but by our faithfulness. I was chatting with someone on Facebook the
other day about forgiveness. The issue
was that people tend not to forgive or
forget. What you thought was behind you,
people bring up again and again. I told
them that what they were seeing was the flesh … that natural, sinful man .. But
God is the God of second chances … He has forgiven us in Jesus Christ. So don’t despair .. don’t give up … don’t
lose hope … The Lord is your strength and your redemption. ELGIN
Bondye Beni Ou (God Bless You)
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