I was emailed this and thought it appropriate to post for today's devotional...read it carefully...
It can be difficult to stay on the right path even after we've accepted Christ into our lives. There are so many temptations around us and it's easy to stumble and fall, but we don't need to worry when we make mistakes. God gives us as many chances as we need to get our lives right and doesn't hold our mistakes once repented against us.
God is not a God of first, second or third chances. He is a God of unlimited chances! How many chances has He given you? I have lost count of how many chances God has given me. He continues to love me, protect me and give me comfort in times of sorrow despite the numerous times I've made poor decisions and turned my back on His plans for me. Each time I've come back to Him, He has welcomed me with an open heart full of love.
The God of the Bible is a God of many chances. Moses made many mistakes; so did the prodigal son; even Paul began life as Saul, a man who repeatedly turned his back on God. But God had a plan for each of these people and gave them as many chances as they needed to make the right choice and step into God's loving embrace. He will welcome you with joy and celebrate your return to Him, no matter how many mistakes you have made.
"My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."
- Luke 15: 31
We're fortunate that God doesn't look at our lives like a baseball game – three strikes and you're out. If he did, all of us would have long ago struck out. Thankfully, God isn't a pitcher throwing us curveballs in life. Instead, life throws us lots of unexpected balls, but God never stops giving us another chance at bat. We could be abusing alcohol or drugs, facing financial failure, on parole, divorced, going through foreclosure, or simply making bad decisions in our daily lives and God will still be waiting for us. No matter how many mistakes we make, God gives us opportunities to do right by Him and ourselves every time.
In fact, God is so amazing that He turns our mistakes into opportunities to teach us! He looks on us in sorrow and love and gently corrects us when we make mistakes. He directs us, corrects us and gives us valuable lessons through our suffering when we make mistakes. When we make a mistake, God leads us back to the path He has laid out for us whenever we let Him.
Don't be afraid to ask God for His forgiveness and guidance when you realize you've made a mistake – He loves you and will lead you along the right path – the one He has chosen for you. Start believing that God loves you enough to forgive you and give you as many chances as you need. Ask Him to give you the chance that you need right now and begin living a life of God's purpose for you. Until you do this, you have not used your chances in life properly to fulfill His wishes for you.
