In yesterday’s post, I mentioned that I sometimes focus on a specific month-long accountability plan to help each of us—myself most of all—to keep moving forward. Today, I want to look at how God gives us second (third…thirteenth…thirtieth!) chances when we have failed in some area of life. Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying God owes us even a first chance—let alone, a second. I’m just saying that God, Who is rich in mercy, doesn’t say, “You failed at that. You’re such a loser. Forget you!”
Quite the opposite is true. He says, “You can’t possibly do this on your own, so I’m going to give you all—yes, all—of my love through my forgiveness, mercy, and strength so that you can do this thing.”
He knows that we can’t reverse history, so at one moment in history—on a crude, rough-hewn cross—He gave us the most precious possession He had (His Son, Jesus) to shed the blood necessary to pay the price for all sins. Individuals would no longer need to work on their own to find and slay an animal to atone for their wrongdoings. Jesus paid it all! (Could you hear my “hallelujah!” from there?)
So what does that have to do with WRW Month at Petals from the Basket? To me, everything! When I accept all that God offers me through His love and realize the magnitude of that, it will help me to realize:
(1) that if I’ve failed in some area (many areas!), or if I have been negligent to use my time and resources in some area (again, many areas!), He has promised to forgive those failures and give me the necessary grace to move forward (see Philippians 3:13-14);
(2) that He gives me new mercies every single morning because He knows I need them to keep moving forward, and I, for one, am ever-indebted to Him for the fact that I don’t have to live today on yesterday’s mercies (see Lamentations 3:21-24); and
(3) that He has provided encouragers along my path that will mentor me, pray with me, pray for me, and like Aaron did for his brother Moses, they will hold up my spiritual and emotional arms when I become too weary to do it on my own, thereby giving me the needed strength to keep going (see 2 Corinthians 12:9).
That’s why we encourage one another at Petals from the Basket to re-focus our thoughts for a set period of time. To me, it is nothing short of amazing that we can claim the forgiveness, mercies, encouragement, and strength that He offers to us—because of His love—through earthly friendships and through the power of His holy Word!
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Wednesday is often a tough middle-of-the-week day for people. Lift up someone’s “weary arms” today with an encouraging “I’m praying for you today” e-mail.
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Thank you for reading “Why? (Part 2).” Feel free to post a favorite encouraging verse that will lift up the weary arms of others who are participating in WRW Month.
I just love the new mercy I find in my Lord every single morning! As I awake, I thank Him for His faithfulness all night long and ask Him to direct my steps toward Him. I am so grateful for the many encouraging mentors in my life and try to “hold up the arms” of a faithful friend. I too am amazed by I can claim forgiveness.
Your timing with this post is perfect! Reminding myself to do the “hard stuff” by His grace. For me, that would be the walking part. đ The writing part has not been hard at all… every time I turn around someone else needs a card! From a smowmobile accident, to a dying parent, to discouragement…the needs for encouragement and prayer are everywhere!