Happy Wednesday. It is August 9, 2023. No one likes mistakes and failures. However, here in John, we discover that it’s not necessarily the blunder that God is most concerned about. Rather, it’s how we fix the slip-up that makes all the difference. Last week, I experienced a “moment of dumb” and dented my pickup fender. It took only a moment to blunder, but now the arduous task of repairing it begins: dismantling the tail light, trying to pop out the dent, and meticulously pulling the bumper back into place. This process will require patience and commitment. Nevertheless, I am determined to invest the time and effort to fix it! Did you know that it brings glory to God when we do the same with the dents in our lives? Read on...
Today's Reading:
Jeremiah 3,4; John 11
Scripture
“This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (John 11:4)
Observation
It’s a recurring theme. We read something similar just two chapters before. When a man was born blind, the question arose: “Who sinned? This man or his parents?” Jesus’ answer was similar to what we read today: “Neither. This happened so that the works of God may be displayed in him” (see John 9:3). God isn’t afraid of our missteps or errors. He is, however, very aware and concerned about how we deal with our missteps and errors! One way will make things worse, but another way can actually bring glory to our Father!
Application
God is not glorified when we live such cautious lives that nothing ever goes wrong. He is not the kind of Father that demands perfection as some severe bosses do … and if you do something wrong, you’d better take cover! Our Lord is not like that. Instead, what we find here is that He is glorified in the resolving of that which went wrong!
He is not glorified when we shy away from doing anything where we might fail. Rather, God is glorified when we err (and will), yet we choose to rectify that error.
He is not glorified when we gripe, become victims, run, or blame.
When Lazarus died prematurely, even Martha tried to blame Jesus. “If You would have been here, he wouldn’t have died!” In other words, “It’s Your fault! You should have been here!”
It takes courage to right a wrong, correct an error, or resolve a misunderstanding. Often our pride gets in the way, and we tend to “hope that it goes away.” But God is not glorified when we shy away from the dents in our lives and blame it on something else. He is pleased when we take responsibility, repent, and repair!
Prayer
Father, thank You for Your grace and how You walk with us into the process of restoration … not only for ourselves but for the others involved. Dents will happen! But help me not to be a “err and run” Christian. Help me to repent and repair … and in doing so, I will hear You say, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”
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