Scripture: Isaiah 43:18-19
Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Thought for the Day: JaMarcus Russell was the #1 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. He was chosen by the Raiders to be their big name player, but the opinions of most analysts have been that JaMarcus was a bust. There were those who suggested that he didn’t put in the needed time; he didn’t have the commitment; he did not understand what success would require in the NFL as compared to the college level. He has been out of football for a few years, but now he would like a second chance. He is willing to do whatever it takes, even playing on the scout team for no money. In a letter he wrote to one of the NFL owners, he said:
My tribulations have humbled me. I am a better man because of my struggles and I simply desire an opportunity to redeem myself. I do not want my legacy to be a trail of unfulfilled dreams and missed opportunities.
How many of us learned what was required only after it was too late? The painful part is that there are certain situations when a second chance is simply not available. In those moments, we need to let the God of second chances (grace) point us to new beginnings. It may not be an opportunity to reclaim or redeem a past failure, but God remains the One who points us to a future no longer defined by the past.
Prayer: Give me the necessary vision to see the new thing you are attempting to do, O Lord. I wish to see it and to embrace it. Amen.
HOPE TO SEE YOU SEE SUNDAY EVENING
7pm in the Centrum
