A Day-by-day devotional

June 8, 2023

Dead end

Chronological One Year Bible Reading Plan: 1 Kings 18-20

Scripture of the Day: Romans 1:1-5

Sometimes, you could be driving at an unfamiliar street. You thought you were heading in the right direction, when all of a sudden, you reached a dead end. You have no other choice but to turn back. Then you start the journey all over again. When you do, you become extra careful, eyes on the road, in full concentration. You, of course, wouldn’t want to end up somewhere you can’t continue once more.

In life, we make a lot of wrong turns. When we should have turned left or driven straight ahead, we turn right. This could lead us to a dead end. That, however, does not mean we should end our journey. In fact, when that happens, we make a maneuver to bring us back on the road again.

We make mistakes. Nonetheless, those mistakes need not define our lives. Even when we do make mistakes, there’s always the grace available for us to start all over again. One mistake does not end our journey. In fact, in what would seem to us like a dead end arrives the second, third or even fourth chance in and at life.

Even great men of faith have had a second shot to make it better. King David ordered one of his greatest men to be at the battlefront to ensure his death. This, he did in order to cover up his sin. He covered up his sin with yet another sin. Still, in the end, he found the grace of God covering him, as he starts all over again, trying to make it right with God. Out of that came out a better king, leader and servant of God. The apostle Paul has had numerous followers of Christ murdered, before he himself became one. Despite his mistake which might have seemed like a dead end, the grace of the Lord found him. Paul founded a lot of churches during his missionary journeys and authored a large bulk of the New Testament. From two murderers emerged two of God’s greatest servants.

We are not any different. Each one of us struggles daily to make it right with God. We would still make mistakes. Nonetheless, what is important is for us not to lose sight of God’s saving grace and forgiveness. We may feel like we are at a dead end. However, with God, there’s always a way to maneuver, turn back, and continue our journey.

Reflection: Do not despair if you find yourself making mistakes in life. Remember that this earth is not our final destination. An imperfect world results in us being imperfect. Nevertheless, we have a hope that one day, we will be made perfect.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your grace that abounds in ways that is hard for me to grasp. Forgive me for often falling short. I know that even I fall a hundred million times, you will pull me back up a hundred and one million times over. Amen.