Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT) 23The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. 24Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.
We are human. We make mistakes, blunders, errors. Some of us seem to have a tougher time than others with challenges and times of testing. We fail often. Yet, we are not failures!
I’m not sure why it is that some face challenges and times of testing more often or seemingly face more difficult than others... but I do know this: Our God is a loving and compassionate God. He will never leave us nor abandon us. Difficult times may weaken and distress us for a time; but God is with us, supporting us, loving us, providing the strength we need to persevere in each and every situation. We are not failures!
I am reminded of the apostle Paul who comforted the Corinthians by sharing his own difficulties with what he referred to as his ‘thorn in the flesh’. We are not told what that specific problem or malady was, and that is not Paul’s point. Paul’s point is found in his response:
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 (NLT) 8Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
We may never reach the place where we are able to ‘boast in our weakness’, but with prayer and perseverance we can reach the peace that comes with understanding Who provides our daily strength. We are not failures!
Psalm 73:26 (NLT) My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.
Lord God Almighty, our Father;
We are human and you are well aware of all our failings. You know each mistake we make. You know each challenge or hardship we face. Through it all, you love us, you never abandon us, and you provide the daily strength we need to face each situation. We ask forgiveness for the times we fail; and although we fail many times, in your eyes we are never failures. With humble and contrite hearts we thank you.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
The devotional Failing – But not a Failure appeared first on Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Special courtesy thank you to Dr. Joe Barnett for providing the idea for today's title.
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