Finding Your Creative Bones® 365-Day Devotional © 2023
Do you know how you can find your way through consequences with repentance?
And when they saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they gave cries of fear. But straight away Jesus said to them, Take heart; it is I, have no fear. And Peter, answering, said to him, Lord, if it is you, give me the order to come to you on the water. And he said, Come. And Peter got out of the boat, and walking on the water, went to Jesus. But when he saw the wind he was in fear and, starting to go down, he gave a cry, saying, Help, Lord. (Matthew 14.26-30 Bible in Basic English (BBE))
Peter accepted that Jesus could help him walk on water. Peter did walk on water toward Jesus. Yet when the wind picked up, he grew afraid he would drown. What happened to his faith? He could walk on water but grew fearful that the wind would cause him to drown? Did Peter lose focus? Did he stop believing in Jesus? Probably not, but he did show his humanity with his cry for help from the Lord.
Rehoboam, son of Solomon, who was the son of David, struggled to keep his faith in the Lord. He faltered and fell into sin. It nearly resulted in his and all of Judah's destruction. Before it was too late, the Lord accepted Rehoboam's repentance, and they were saved but still endured great hardship and loss due to their failure.
This is the story for many of us. We fail to keep our faith as we should, as we promise. We repent, and consequences occur due to our wrong actions. Yet you can find your way through consequences with repentance. Fortunately, you are loved and, as a result, have the opportunity to continue with God.
Prayer:
Forgiving Father, everything isn't always good. I have my ups and downs. You see them. You know that sometimes through my actions or inactions, challenges, and sorrows are introduced into my life. I imagine this will continue until I come home to you. I am encouraged to know that you have a tremendous ability to accept a sincere request for forgiveness. Yet I want to need to use your forgiveness less and less as I grow older and wiser.
Holy Spirit, aid me in growing wiser. Please shout in my ear if I am choosing an unworthy path. I trust you to be there when I need you, and I will do my best to pause so that I can hear your guiding voice. Amen.
a tangle originated by Zentangle, Inc.
Word of the Day
REPENTANCE
Learn how to draw KNASE. Rick Roberts demonstrates who to draw KNASE at 6:54 in the video.
Read the scripture in context on the Bible in Basic English website.
Ah, yes, growing wiser by seeking & pausing to hear God’s guidance.
The neat tangle reflects to my senses the opportunities for growing wisdom with repentance.