It's Never Too Late

Throughout our life, we make certain decisions. Sometimes those decisions are good and sometimes those decisions are not so good. You try so hard to make something happen in your life and everything seems to go against it. You end up losing your scholarship to college. Your fiancé keeps pushing the date back. You lost out on that promotion that you have been working so hard for. You lose a friend because of a disagreement about a life circumstance. Whatever problem arises, it forces you to make some sort of decision.

But what about the decision to follow Christ? That is one that is always good, no matter what your life looks like.

I was raised in church my whole life. I knew the stories. I knew when to raise my hands in worship. I knew the lingo, but I don't think that I really knew why. I was asked one day why I believe that God is the real God as opposed to a Greek mythological god or buddha. This was a recent question, but I was able to answer it. I KNOW that God is God b/c I have felt Him. I feel Him. I have experienced Him like I would never be able to experience anything or anyone else. He lives inside of me, and with that, I have faith. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that God is God. The I Am. Jesus. He is mine, and I am His.

I was listening to a sermon today, and the title of that message was Focus on Righteousness. Pastor Alex talked about Samson and his Nazarite vow. A Nazarite vow is just this:

• No drinking alcohol or eating anything unclean
• No razor should touch their head
• No contact with a corpse or grave, even that of a family member

Read Judges 13 to learn more about Samson's beginning.

If you continue to read about Samson's life, at one point, he had killed a lion and a swarm of bees had made a hive in the bones of that lion and made honey. He was not to touch that dead animal, but it was almost like he couldn't resist that honey. Sometimes, wrong things look so good and your eye, your mind wonders in that direction. He broke one of his vows. Vows are very serious. They aren't something to just play with. They aren't guidelines. Making a vow and then breaking should have brought Samson to a mindset of conviction, but it was almost like, "I have 2 more vows that I haven't broke. I will be fine. Everything is fine"

In the end, Samson ended breaking all his Nazarite vows and lost his strength. He had a strength that no man could match. It was a God given strength, and he lost it b/c of a bad decision. He made one bad decision that kept leading to other bad decisions. 

Do you think, though, that God just ended Samson's story with him weak and his enemies laughing at him? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Samson repented and asked God to give him enough strength to take out his enemies with one last blow, and God did just that. When Samson was at his weakest, that's when God really showed you His strength. It wasn't too late for Samson! As long as he had breath in his body, he cried out to God and GOD SHOWED UP!

Look at David's life. God even called him "A man after His own heart". How many bad decisions did David make? He sent a man to war just to have him be killed by the enemy so that he could have his wife. I mean really!? That's just nuts and seems like something that would be unforgivable! Right? WRONG! David always repented. He always found his way back to God. He loved God, there was no doubt in that. 

These stories just prove that no one person is good enough. We all mess up. We all have bad days, bad months, bad years. As long as you have breath in your body, it's not too late! Just b/c it's not too late though, do not wait! Being a Christ follower is THE greatest decision you will ever make in your life. You will continue to go down a road that will curve and wind and have obstacles, but when you know where your destination is, it's so much easier to drive b/c you aren't the only one driving. I imagine it being like one of those old student drivers cars. There are 2 steering wheels in the vehicle. One for the student. One for the instructor. 

Allow God to be your instructor. He is not a dictator. He isn't going to force you down one road or the other. When you have a relationship with Him and communicate with Him on a daily basis, the twists and the turns become smoother, easier to follow. You are guided on which way to turn. 

Proverbs 8:32-34

Use your ears to listen! Find favor! I was told once "You have 2 ears and 1 mouth. You need to listen twice as much as you talk"

Let God guide you. When decisions come your way and you make a bad one, don't let that one bad decision affect the rest of your life. Allow God to put you back on your path. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE BREATH, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE!