"Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good." -- Psalm 25:7
Even though we continue to mess up and do the wrong things when we are adults, there is something different about the mistakes of our youth. Having a teenager right now at home causes me to think back to my own teenage years quite often. When I see my daughter striving for independence from her parents, looking for her path in this world and making mistakes in the process, I look back and find I made many of the same mistakes.
I often go to the Message translation of the Bible because it usually puts things in words that make understanding the verses easier. Psalm 25 is full of wise advice.
"Forget that I sowed wild oats; Mark me with your sign of love. Plan only the best for me, God! God is fair and just; He corrects the misdirected, sends them in the right direction. He gives the rejects his hand and leads them step-by-step. From now on every road you travel will take you to God. Follow the Covenant signs: Read the charted directions. Keep up your reputation God; Forgive my bad life: It's been a very bad life. My question: What are God-worshipers like? Your answer: Arrows aimed at God's bull's eye. They settle down in a promising place: Their kids inherit a prosperous farm. God-friendship is for God-worshipers; They are the ones he confides in. If I keep my eyes on God, I won't trip over my own feet." -- Psalm 25:7-15 The message translation
So much wisdom and insight into God and our relationship with him are contained in those verses! I want a God-friendship with my creator! I want to be a God-worshiper who God confides in! I want him to forget my sins, and they have been many!
How many of us feel like rejects? We feel like we have messed up so bad that others will look down on us and God will turn us away. But that isn't the case! God gives his hand to the rejects and leads them step-by-step! I am an arrow aimed at God...he is my path. When I trip over my own feet and lose my path, if I turn my eyes back to God, he will put me back on the right path!
Mistakes are not just made in our youth. All of us, at all ages, need to be reminded frequently of God's grace and forgiving nature. When we mess up, and we will, we can put our eyes back on God and he will direct us. But, isn't that easier said than done? How can I find God when I am so far off the right path?
Dig into the Bible. It seems so simple, and yet that, along with prayer, is the answer. In His word, God speaks to us. He speaks to me through his words every morning. When I thought I was too busy or too depressed for the Bible to make any difference in my life and I stayed away from it, my heart suffered...I felt lost. When I reached for those Bible verses again, and really thought about what they were trying to say to me, I was revived again. It is as simple as one verse a day...I get a daily Bible verse on my phone every day. It is that verse that inspires these blog posts. God speaks to me in one simple verse a day...it's THAT simple!
Are you feeling like a reject today? Are you feeling like your mistakes have messed up your life and it is beyond repair? Open your Bible and read one simple verse and open your heart to God's whispered message to you. You too can be revived! If you keep your eyes on God, he will keep you from tripping over your own feet and your own mistakes!
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