Have you ever wanted a “do over”?

Have you ever thought, “I wish I had never done that!” ?  Have you ever wished you could go back and do it again?  Maybe it was a fight with your spouse, or your kids, or a dear, close friend that really put a strain on your relationship.  There are two verses I want to talk about.  The first one is from Genesis 50:20:

“But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

This is Joseph talking to his brothers that had sold him into slavery because of their intense jealousy of him.  He rose to the level of Pharoah’s second in command.  So God had put Joseph into a position to save not only his entire family, but many many more.    Not only was he able to give them the food that kept them alive, he was able to give them the best parcel of land in all of Egypt.

The second verse, which also shows that the Bible is not only tied together, but consistant, is from Romans 8:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.”

If we allow God to use the mistakes of our past, He will make sure that good will come of it.  Maybe you’ll have more compassion for someone living in sin.  I don’t mean that you have to love the sin, but you should love the sinner.  Maybe you’ll better understand when someone just gives up on working for Christ.  Maybe you’ll understand the problems that those with chronic illnesses have.  Or maybe you’ll better understand what it feels like to lose a child, or someone to cancer.

But the key here is “IF WE LET IT”.  We must make that choice to trust God with our past.  We must make the choice to accept His forgiveness.  We must make the choice to experience His restoring Power.

So, if you have ever done something so bad you think you can never even hope for forgiveness, I’m here to tell you that you are wrong.  God’s love is so great that He longs to forgive us.  He longs to fellowship with us.  And when He forgives us, do you know what He does with that sin?  He takes it away from us as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12)  and throws them into the deepest sea.  And you want to know the exciting part?  In the new heaven and the new earth, after Christ’s return, THERE WILL BE NO SEA!!!  (Read Revelation 21:1.)

So, all this is said to say this:  Don’t ever give up on yourself or anyone else.  God doesn’t.