2004-05-05 - It Can't Be Erased

Encore 1999-04-07

In 1997, my oldest daughter won the State Gymnastics Championship for her age group and level. In 1998, she came in third place at the State Meet She trained and worked out very diligently. After the 1998 State Meet, I remember telling her, "You did your best, and I am very proud of your achievements this year. Don't lose sight of your 1997 victory. It will never be removed from the record books." She was very competitive, yet very mature with realistic expectations for herself. Her maturity kept her from wallowing in her past mistakes, as she focused on her past successes and her future hope of achieving more successes. She was very competitive, yet her expectations for herself were realistic, just as God has realistic expectations of us.

Throughout the Bible, we read of great people of faith. Often their victories over temptations or their great displays of faith are followed by periods of moral foul-ups and sinfulness. I think of Abraham, who has been called the "Father of our Faith." Yet Abraham had many lapses in his walk with God, but he never allowed his failure to negate his past successes. More importantly, Abraham never let his past failure prevent him from growing closer to God. His faith kept growing, and his walk with God became closer as he repented from his sins and grew more trusting of God.

How are you living your life? Are you dwelling on your past failures or your past successes? Are you allowing present wrong decisions to erase your past right decisions? Satan wants you to constantly live your life looking back at failure. He wants you to drive your car of life looking only in the narrow rearview mirror. Christ wants you to drive through life looking forward, and out the front, toward victories down the road, while glancing back occasionally at your past victories over temptations.

Take Comfort in God's Word

Isaiah 65:17 (NCV) Look, I will make new heavens and a new earth, and people will not remember the past or think about those things.

Psalm 103:12-13 (NCV)He has taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from west. The LORD has mercy on those who respect him, as a father has mercy on his children.

Jer 31:34 (NIV) "No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

Father, we praise You and thank You for giving us what we do not deserve and not giving us that which we do deserve. Thank You for Your love, and mostly thank You for Your risen Son who takes away all our sins. In His name, Amen.

Questions or Comments?
David Massey

david@e-devotionals.org
http://www.cfdevotioals.org
http://www.e-devotionals.org