Undoing The Damage

Undoing the Damage

Bible Reading: Romans 8:28-30

We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

We may feel a bit discouraged after thinking of all the people we’ve hurt. We see that even though we are willing to make amends, we won’t be able to undo all the damage we’ve done. But there’s still good reason to be encouraged.

The Bible has promised, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself” (Romans 8:28-30).

Here’s how one sin was turned around to be used by God for good. Judah had sex with a woman he assumed to be a prostitute. She was really his widowed daughter-in-law, who was upset that he hadn’t given her his other son for a husband. She had twin boys, Perez and Zerah, who had their grandpa for a father! (Genesis 38). Many were hurt by this unsavory situation.

Our hope lies in seeing how God can bring about good, even through our worst sins. In Matthew 1:3 we see that Perez and Zerah, the sons of Judah and Tamar, are in the direct lineage that brought Jesus Christ into the world! We can be encouraged that God has forgiven our sins and he has the power to bring good things out of horrible circumstances.

God can turn our greatest tragedies into events that bring honor to him.