Life after Failure - 1 Sam 12

Then Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.
– 1 Sam 12:20

Choices.  We’ve been talking about them a lot recently.  Specifically how our enemy, the devil, will attempt to connive or intimidate us into making a bad choice. Satan will use every trick in his little book of tricks to cause us to make a choice that will bring pain and affliction into our lives, and then he’ll use that choice against us and tell us what a failure we are as Christians.  (Man, I hate that guy!)   

Then last week we looked at the rescue of Jabesh Gilead, and how that is a picture of how God is willing and able to come to our rescue when we call upon His name, even after a bad choice.  An awesome truth for sure!  One of the promises we learned was from Lamentations:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” – Lam 3:22-24

(Interestingly, Lamentations was written by the prophet Jeremiah as he lamented the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar; God’s punishment upon Israel for their disobedience)

But what about those choices we make that we cannot undo? Some things just cannot be ‘undone.’ There is no delete button in life.  What happens in the aftermath of a wrong choice that sets in motion permanent changes in our life that we cannot undo?  Is there life after failure?

1 Samuel chapter 12 gives us hope in that situation.  Not a fairy-tale hope that time will be erased, and our life restored to be exactly the way it was before; but hope that God will once again move and work in our lives.  Hope that He will form new lives for us that can be a blessing to us and to others.  New lives where we can live for Him and enjoy the blessing and peace that only God can give to us.

We may not be able to erase the mistakes of our past, and we may have to live in the reality of that choice for the rest of our life on earth.  That husband or wife may never return.  That person we wronged may never forgive us.  But if we will turn to the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all of our hearts, He will give us new life that will glorify Him.  I don't know about you, but that is a promise that gives me hope!

Join us Sunday for “Life after failure”

…till the whole world hears,

Pastor Clay