The Faith Code: 14 Day DevotionalSample

Facing Life’s Failures

Life has a way of catching us off guard, and if we’re unprepared, we tend to make bad decisions. Even the wisest among us is unable to predict what lies around the next bend. In a moment’s turn we can find ourselves under cloudy skies, with howling winds and ten-foot waves. Make one mistake in those conditions and we’ll capsize. It has happened to all of us. It might not have been our fault, but when the pressure hit, we froze. We failed to live up to the expectations around us and maybe even worse we failed to live up to our own values.

The Bible is filled with examples of failure and recovery. In fact, one could argue that the overarching narrative of the bible and the one that connects us to the mission of Christ, was God’s recovery plan for the failure of the Fall. Genesis to Revelation reveals a story that goes from tragic failure to astonishing, comprehensive, joyous reclamation. Jesus talked often about how He came to seek and save the lost. We are all lost at some point. We all fail. We all fall down. But God’s love never leaves us. He will never turn His back on us. There is no limit to God’s kindness, forgiveness and ability to heal. We simply have to trust in Him and open ourselves up through the storm.

Prayer:

Lord, thank you for sending Your Son to seek and save the lost—to seek and save us. Thank you that Your story is one of redemption and restoration. When hardship and failures appear, help me to remember that I am a part of that story. That I have been redeemed.