Tell me if this sounds familiar. You start a new year, full of hope, plans, goals. It’s gonna be a new you this year. Leaner, fitter, stronger in your faith… more productive.
But in a few short weeks, maybe your enthusiasm wanes. Maybe some old habits begin to reassert themselves, and suddenly your new year is beginning to look a whole lot like the year that came before.
And this has been my story so far in this new year. I committed to reading my Bible every day – that’s been hard. I’ve prayed for a closer walk with Jesus, and that hasn’t been completely consistent. And so on, and so on all down my list of changes I wanna make this year. And I just wonder, what does God do with someone like me?
During my Bible reading this week, I’ve been reading in Exodus about the Israelites leaving Egypt. How excited they were about the promised land and their new covenant with God. But, before you know it, they’re grumbling at Moses, and even dancing around an idol! What does God do with people like this?
But then, as the story of the Israelites unfolds, you see God‘s grace, and a God that’s willing to give second, third and even fourth chances to His people. God’s grace shined in their failures, His strength came through in their weakness.
It sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? Grace in our failures, and strength in our weakness. So I know that I can restart my journey, trusting that God has patience with me. And you can be confident of that in your journey, also. Remember that God, who saw the Israelites through to the promised land, is our God too!
“The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out,
“Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy!
I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.”
Kevin Brooks
Evening Show Host, STAR 101.5 | Listen Now