09/06/2026
The first steps in any life change can be intimidating. Question arise like, Will this work out for me?, How will other people react?, Am I sure this is the path I should follow?, What if it doesn't work?....and on and on and on. Asking God to grant wisdom and direction is the first step to success. Seeking His will above all else will help you make wise choices and guide your path.
Many people in the Bible had moments where their paths shifted due to loss, failures, conflict, fear, or exhaustion. During these "starting over" periods, each of them experienced God's grace and mercy to guide them in the direction He was leading.
Ruth was a widow who chose to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi to a completely new home. She left everything she knew to go to Judah and start over. As a result of her love and loyalty to Naomi, God gave her a new home, a new husband, and a new baby. Ruth is in the family line of Jesus Christ because she wasn't afraid to start over and trust God's plan.
Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples allowed fear to cause him to deny Christ three times! This same Peter who had literally walked on water, cursed and said he didn't even know Jesus. This failure would have sent most men into despair, but Jesus restored Peter, and instructed him to "Feed my Sheep." Peter became one of the first evangelists in the New Testament and thousands of people found salvation through the Good News!
Saul, the persecutor of the early church who sent hundreds of early Christians to prison, had possibly the most dramatic restart of anyone in the Bible. Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus, blinded him, and sent him on a completely different path! After his conversion experience, Paul went on to spread the Gospel in much of the known world of his day. We read his letters in the New Testament still today and find direction and encouragement for our lives.
These three individuals are only a handful of stories in the Bible that show us that God is a God of second chances. He desires His children to be successful and confident. But when we fall, He is right there, waiting to help us as we start over.
If you are in a "starting over season" ask our Heavenly Father to help you see and follow His perfect will for your life.
Verses to ponder this week:
Lamentations 3:22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; the are new every morning.
John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
I Thessalonians 5:16-17 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Psalm 116:1-2 I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
