WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
JUNE 7, 2022
TOPIC: FAILURE IS NOT THE END
BY T.O. BANSO
âBut go, tell His disciples–and Peter–that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to youâ (Mark 16:7 New King James Version).
In the Christian race, sometimes we fail or we are going to fail. Such a failure could be in terms of sin or the inability to achieve godly goals we have set. There is nobody who has not failed or will not fail at one time or the other. However, we must not misconstrue our failure as rejection by God. God loves us. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).
Failure is one thing; who you are in God is another thing. That you have failed does not make you a failure! And that you have failed by sinning or failing in achieving godly goals, as a child of God, does not mean that God has rejected you. This is very important because many people think that God reacts to our failures the way human beings do. No.
In Matthew 14, Jesus walked on the sea towards His disciples who were in the boat in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, as the wind was contrary. The disciples were troubled and cried out for fear because they thought it was a ghost. Jesus, however, told them to be of good cheer and not be afraid.
Just to confirm it was Jesus talking to them, Peter asked Him to command him to come to Him on the water and He told him to come. Peter stepped out of the boat and began to walk on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid and began to sink. Then, Peter cried out asking the Lord to save him. One could say that Peter failed to achieve his goal of walking on water. He started well but missed it.
However, Jesus rescued him and then asked him why he doubted. âAnd immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, âO you of little faith, why did you doubt?ââ (Matthew 14:31 New King James Version). Jesus didnât forsake or reject him because he failed. Rather, he stretched out His hand to save him so that he would not drown.Â
Peter might have failed, which could be very painful, but he wasnât a failure. He was better than the other disciples who didnât experience walking on the sea! Jesus would not reject you because you failed to reach a godly goal or succeed in a kingdom project, or even because of a moral failure. There are always lessons you must learn to avoid a repeat. Failure is not your end. God will give you other opportunities.
What do you think happened after Jesus stretched His hand and caught Peter who was sinking? They both must have walked into the boat. In other words, Peter walked on the sea again! Matthew 14:32 says, âAnd when they got into the boat, the wind ceasedâ (New King James Version). Failure is not the end. You can succeed after failing.
Unfortunately, some people feel so disappointed with themselves that they go and take some drastic actions, including suicide because they think their failure is the end. They believe itâs the end of the road for them, God is through with them, or He cannot accept them again because they have failed Him.
Indeed, we may have failed to meet Godâs expectations of us, as His children, but there is nothing we do that will catch God unawares. He knows everything we do before we ever do it. He does not condone sin but He has made provision for repentance and forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Donât go and commit suicide like Judas Iscariot because of the sin you have committed. Come to God in repentance and receive forgiveness. God is not like human beings who find it difficult to forgive certain sins. Jesus said all that the Father gave Him would come to Him, and the one who came to Him, He would by no means cast out (John 6:37). ââCome now, and let us reason together,â Says the LORD, âThough your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as woolââ (Isaiah 1:18 New King James Version).
Failure is not the end. God is the God of many chances. Peter denied Jesus three times just as He had foretold (Matthew 26:34; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:34). Peter was so confident he could never deny Jesus. He said even if he had to die with Him, he would not deny Him and the other disciples said the same thing (Matthew 26:35; Mark 14:31). But Peter denied Jesus three times as He had said. Matthew 26:75 says when Peter remembered that Jesus said before the rooster crowed, he would deny Him three times; he went out and wept bitterly. Also, Mark 14:72 says he wept.
Peter failed and he must have thought that was the end of his ministry. He must have been disappointed with himself for failing his Master. He could have felt unworthy to even stand and provide leadership for the other disciples who also had deserted Jesus upon His arrest. He was in that condition when Jesus was raised from the dead.
Peter might have felt bad that he let down His Master, but Jesus was not through with Him. He knew he would deny Him before he did and told him ahead. He even said He had prayed for him (Luke 22:32). Jesus didnât because of Peterâs denial change His mind about Peter.
After Jesusâ resurrection, a young man clothed in a long white robe, sitting inside the tomb, on the right side, told Mary Magdalene and the other women, âBut go, tell His disciples–and Peter–that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to youâ (Mark 16:7 New King James Version).
Why did he single out Peter after he had mentioned Jesusâ disciples? Shouldnât that have taken care of Peter? He said that to remove any doubt that Jesus still believed in Peter and that nothing had changed in their relationship. Failure wasnât the end for Peter. Suppose Peter had gone to commit suicide because he believed there was no reason for him to live again after denying Jesus when, in fact, Jesus still had a great work for him to do.
Later in John 21, Jesus reinstated Peter to the ministry and, in their conversation, told him to feed His lambs (verse 15), tend His sheep (verse 16), and feed His sheep (verse 17).
Failure is not the end. Always look at issues from Godâs perspective, not manâs perspective. Run away from sin. Avoid willful sin. But if you have sinned, repent. The will of God is that none should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b).
Galatians 6:1 says if a man is overtaken in any trespass, those who are spiritual should restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness, considering themselves lest they also be tempted. Godâs goal is the restoration of His child who has sinned, not rejection.
Your failure is not the end. You are not a failure. All things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life â your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, thank You because I may have failed but I am not a failure. I thank You because You have not given up on me and my failure is not the end; I will make it in Jesusâ name. All things shall work together for my good because I love God and I am called according to His purpose. Holy Spirit, help me to live victoriously over sin. Father, I pray for the restoration of the backsliders and those who have given up because of failure. Restore and encourage them.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
  
  
  
  
