Hope Endures
Theme of the week: Moving Forward after Bad Decisions
Friday, November 9, 2012
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Key Bible Verse: "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." (Jeremiah 29:11, The message) Dig Deeper: Psalm 103
Making bad choices can become a downward spiral. One bad decision opens the door to other bad decisions, and the vicious cycle spins out of control until, in desperation, people are driven to seek help. But getting back on the right path is often difficult when much of your life is already spent. The good news, however, is that it is still possible. No matter what happened yesterday, tomorrow can be different.
Even as we round the next corner of a collapsing career, a failed investment, or a difficult marriage, God is waiting to meet us. We might never get back to where we were when we got off track, but God can blaze a new trail for us to make the best of our bad decisions. He is even able to take our "second best" and turn it into his "first best" if we give him the broken pieces.
He has a way of redeeming our lives from the pit—even the pits of our own making. God's grace does not erase the consequences of our sin, but forgiveness does erase the self-incrimination and regret. Forgiveness heals our hearts, even if it doesn't heal our relationships or return the time we have squandered. With the past forgiven, there is hope for the future.
—Erwin Lutzer in Making the Best of a Bad Decision
My Response: I will reflect on times when God has taken my "second best" and turned it into his "first best."
Thought to Apply: Circumstances may change, but the future is as sure as the character of God Himself.—Scott Hafemann (professor, writer)
Adapted from Making the Best of a Bad Decision (Tyndale, 2011) by permission. All rights reserved by the copyright holder and/or the publisher. May not be reproduced.
Copyright © 2012 by Christianity Today/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
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Lord, help me to learn from my bad decisions and to trust that if I repent, you are faithful to bring something good out of even my poorest choices (Rom. 8:28).
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