Mistakes

Mistakes

MY QUESTION for GOD

With all the mistakes I’ve made, why doesn’t God give up on me?

A MOMENT with GOD

Abraham introduced his wife, Sarah, by saying, “She is my sister.” So King Abimelech of Gerar sent for Sarah and had her brought to him at his palace.

Genesis 20:2

Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

Genesis 15:6

Abram made many mistakes. So how could God call him righteous? Despite his bad choices, Abram believed and trusted in God. It was faith, not perfection, that made him right in God’s eyes. The same principle is true for you. Rather than looking for goodness, God is looking for faith and a willingness to follow him.

Finally, Samson shared his secret with her. . . . So the Philistines captured him and gouged out his eyes. . . . Then Samson prayed to the Lord, “Sovereign Lord, remember me again.”

Judges 16:17, 21, 28

Samson’s life was filled with foolish mistakes, but he was still used mightily by God. If God would refuse to use his people because they make mistakes, no one would ever accomplish anything for him.

So when the Aramean chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat in his royal robes, they went after him. “There is the king of Israel!” they shouted. But Jehoshaphat called out, and the Lord saved him. God helped him by turning the attackers away from him. As soon as the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they stopped chasing him.

2 Chronicles 18:31-32

God still helped Jehoshaphat even though he had made the mistake of ignoring the warnings of the prophet Micaiah. If you ask him, God will help you even though you’ve made mistakes.

Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!”

Matthew 26:74

After Peter made the painful, devastating mistake of outrightly denying Jesus, Jesus restored him and used him to build the church. Following Jesus means allowing him to forgive your mistakes and help you work toward a better future.

After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.

Exodus 2:12

It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.

Hebrews 11:27

Even Moses’ life was marred by a terrible mistake, but the Bible describes his life as one of utmost faith in God.

Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. . . . Now the Lord had arranged for a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was inside the fish for three days and three nights. . . . Then the Lord ordered the fish to spit Jonah out onto the beach. . . . Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

Jonah 1:3, 17; 2:10; 3:1-2

One of the worst mistakes you can make is running away from God. Yet God pursued Jonah and gave him another chance.

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.”

Luke 1:18

God did not disqualify Zechariah from participating in his plan just because he had doubts. Instead, he allowed Zechariah to become the father of John the Baptist.

If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:9

When your mistakes result in sin, confess your sin to God. He will forgive you completely.

DIVINE PROMISE

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. . . . I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-14