Monday, July 23, 2012

1 Samuel 29-31

Memorize: For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Job 14:7

Read: Ezra 10:2-3

Sin is a cruel robber of hope. You will observe that as a believer in right standing with God, it is easy for you to express faith and hope but the moment you sin, the basis for faith and hope is eroded. Fear and doubt invade your heart. You will begin to wonder if the promise of God you have been waiting for will still be realized or not.

Sin robs you of hope so you should keep away from it. After falling into sin, some people completely lose the hope of being forgiven or restored to faith. A young evangelist who faithfully won several souls to the Lord was a victim of this. He fell into fornication one day and the devil deceived him that because of that act he could never receive pardon.

He believed that lie and continued to live in sin until he fell ill one day and was hospitalized. While there, he was in the same ward with another man - a pastor who carefully studied his Bible. He admired him. One day, the pastor asked him if he was a Christian and he said He used to be. “Used to? What happened?” The pastor asked and he told him his story.

The pastor immediately swung into action showing him through scriptures that he could be forgiven and restored. Then he prayed with him and joy flooded his heart that night. By the following morning when the pastor woke up, he did not see his ward mate, so he asked the nurses about him. He was informed that the man had joyfully passed on. After his tests, his wife - a medical doctor - announced to the pastor that he was free to go. Annoyed that he was kept in a hospital bed for days over nothing, he pondered on why God would allow that, only to realize he was used to restore hope to the hopeless.

Have you backslidden and believe there is no more hope for your restoration? There is hope for you today! Go on your knees, confess your sins and re-invite Jesus into your heart as Lord and savior and dedicate your life to Him. He will forgive and restore you.

From today's Bible reading, some men who were Israelites, violated God's command in Deuteronomy 7:2-3 yet they had hope for restoration. However, do not deliberately sin thinking you will always have opportunity to repent and be forgiven; you may not. But today, you can be restored to the Lord now. He will forgive you and put you back on track to Heaven.

ACTION POINT: Prayerfully search for three backsliders around you and lead them back to Christ