When Your Mistake Costs Much

So I was watching football after church today because duh...isn't that what everyone does during the most amazing season of the year? Anyways, while waiting for my Packers game I had the Eagles vs. the Lions game on. The Eagles were undefeated and on their way to yet another win when all of a sudden the Eagles running back fumbled the ball and the Lions recovered it. The cameraman continued to flash over to the running back whose error cost the Eagles their first loss 23-24. 

The running back was sitting alone and visibly upset at the magnitude of his error. Again and again, the camera went back to focus on him. I felt so bad for the guy, he was so distraught over his fumble. Finally he put on his helmet with a dark visor attached to keep the camera off him. 

This visual reminded me how we often react to our life mistakes. We sit alone too long, mulling over again and again, mentally beating ourselves up. 

Today I'm thankful for the knowledge that while I'm not perfect and mess up often, I don't have to carry the weight on my shoulders, hiding behind a dark mask of shame and guilt. I'm thankful for a relationship with JESUS CHRIST that allows me to be forgiven, forgive myself, as well as others. 

Friends, if you've been carrying a burden for too long, it's time to let it go. Don't sit alone and hide. GOD's got big plans for you and it doesn't include moping around and looking behind. The past is past. Ask The LORD for forgiveness; lay it down and don't pick it back up. Keep your eyes on JESUS, ask HIM to take away your sins, forgive you, and come into your heart and life, making all things new. HE already paid the price, accept HIS forgiveness, the free gift HE gave to you upon the cross, rising on the 3rd day to newness of life. You've been called for more. Let the Light of CHRIST shine into the darkness. Let it go!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."~2 Corinthians 5:17

Jump on the Thankful Train...what are you thankful for?

Why Am I Suffering?

I was looking for something to send out to my "Morning Devotional Group," (a group of friends that I email every morning with encouraging, inspirational thoughts, stories and scriptures) when I came across a book, "Reflections of His Image-God's Purpose For Your Life," by Nancy Missler, which was sitting on my bookshelf. It was full of dust...forgotten and hidden over the years. It grabbed my attention, I pulled it out, dusted it off and started scanning, looking for something to jump off the pages. That's when I abruptly stopped and read this: 

THE PURPOSE OF SUFFERING

"Those of us who have lived long enough understand that life itself includes suffering. The 9th chapter of Ecclesiastes 9 points us to the truth that "all things come alike to all." Misfortune and evil and calamity and "time and chance" happen to everyone. (verses 2, 11) However, we also know that God is above all these things and He will use any or all of them as He sees fit to accomplish His perfect will in our lives. Suffering can be a result of our own sin, the sins of others, the schemes of Satan or from the fallen state of the human race. Here are a few other reasons suffering occurs: 

1)    To produce brokenness

2)    To destroy anything in our lives that is worthless, empty and steering us in  the wrong direction.

3)    To make us more pliable.

4)    To make us more Christ-like

5)    To endow us with more power.

6)    To experience the "fellowship of His sufferings," and

7)    To teach us how to help others, by our own experiences.

Another of God's purposes for suffering is to highlight the things in our own lives that must be dealt with. He wants us to make an honest self-evaluation of ourselves, which in turn, should lead us to confession, repentance and a change of lifestyle. "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to test thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or not." (Deuteronomy 8:2) 

God put the book of Job, the longest book of the Bible, right in the center of the Bible for a very good reason: it's an example of faith in the night seasons and the determination never to give up. God intends for all of us to use this book as a "road map" through the dark times, always keeping in mind that at the end of the road, Job finally "saw" himself and God as he never had before, changing his life forever. (Job 42:5)" 

What a powerful reminder of continuing to seek the Lord during times of trial, asking for His wisdom, strength, patience and guidance through life's storms. Don't give up! Don't lose hope! Stand strong in the knowledge that through this you will come out victorious as you put your trust in the Lord every second, minute and hour of the day. Call out to Him and know that He is guiding you safely through this dark place. YOU ARE LOVED!

 

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted." Job 42:2  
"My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you." Job 42:5
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." James 4:10
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:" 1 Peter 5:6