“The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.” (Psalm 145:14, NKJV)
Have you ever failed God and then been ashamed to admit what happened? At some point in life most of us have disappointed ourselves and the Lord. Then comes the guilt about how we have bungled things so badly. For a few minutes let’s look at the stories of three men to see how each handled his own failures.
DAVID’S STORY
David messed up. Bad. Really, really bad. In an effort to hide his sin, he had one of his most loyal friends killed. That only added to his problem as the shame and the guilt gnawed at his insides. Then Nathan, the man of God, came to him and said, “You are the man” (II Samuel 12). David’s sin was no longer hidden, and he felt deep shame for what he had done. Throwing himself on the mercies of God David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, NKJV). He still suffered consequences, but his relationship with the Lord was restored.
PETER’S STORY
Peter did not really mean to deny the Lord, but he had been afraid. So much was going on. Jesus had been arrested. Most of the others had all scattered. He and one other disciple had made their way to the house of the high priest, where Jesus had been taken. Three times Peter was questioned, “Aren’t you one of His followers?” Each time Peter denied it. He lied.
Then, as the cock crowed, Peter remembered the words of Jesus. Scripture says he went out and “wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). The Bible does not give us the words he prayed, but the man who had denied the Lord three times sought and found forgiveness. His days of usefulness to the kingdom of God were not over. Peter became a powerful voice in the early church and preached on the Day of Pentecost. Tradition says he was martyred for his faith some thirty years later.
JUDAS’S STORY
There is a third man that we should mention in these stories of failure and repentance. His name is Judas. He is the disciple who betrayed the Lord for a handful of money. Even today this name is synonymous with someone who betrays another.
What is different between Judas’s story and the stories of David and Peter? He never repented. Although Judas had followed the Lord for over three years, it seems he had never fully committed himself to the Lord. Scripture tells us that Judas realized he had done wrong and was sorry. But regret is not the same as repentance. Instead, Judas chose to end his own life.
WHAT IS YOUR STORY?
Perhaps you have failed the Lord and now feel regret and shame. Do you wonder if there is a way to make your way back? The important thing to remember is that there is a way back. David was an adulterer and had a man murdered, but God restored him when he repented. Peter denied Jesus three times in one night, yet the Lord forgave him and gave him a powerful ministry. Many others have found that same mercy, and so can you.
Here is what God’s Word tells us to do.
- Approach God with humility. “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up” (James 4:10, NKJV).
- Admit your sin. Proverbs 28:13 assures us that, “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (NKJV).
- Hand God your brokenness. “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—these, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17, NKJV).
- Believe that the Lord desires to help you. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholds him with His hand” (Psalm 37:23-24, NKJV).
- Fill your mind with the Word of God. “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11, NKJV).
If you have failed, don’t let it be the end of your story. God has provided a way back. We only fail when we refuse to repent and return.
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
