Ephesians 2:4-5 – But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ — by grace you have been saved. (ESV)

Do you ever lie awake at night, unable to sleep because you're thinking about all of the foolish mistakes that you've made? Do you ever relive those stupid moments in your mind and regret the things that you've said or done? Do you wish that you could live parts of your life over again and avoid causing the problems or even the hurt that happened to other people? Me, too.

It's sometimes hard to come to terms with our imperfections and foolish ways. It's not easy to get over the guilt for the wrong or shameful things that we've done. It's difficult to deal with the times when we should have said or done something to help someone else, but we were too scared, too busy, or too proud to do it.

I used to think that the older I grew, the more that I'd be able to handle the past, and because I would be chronologically distant from those moments, I would be able to shove them aside. But that's not true, because the closer I get to being face-to-face with God, the more I know that He knows everything about me from the day of my birth to the time when I will die.

It could make me despair, but then, Jesus interrupts my melancholy and reminds me of His role as Saviour. From the riches of God's mercy, Christ applies grace to the moments and the memories that keep me awake. He not only saves me from my sinful past, but He also rescues me from my hopelessness, so that when I do meet God face-to-face, I know that Christ will be standing with me as my Saviour, my Advocate, and my Friend.

Questions: What regrets do I have about my life? Am I ready to let Jesus apply His grace to those moments?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all make mistakes; we all experience shame; we all do foolish things. Save us from ourselves and graciously forgive us. In Your holy name, we humbly pray. Amen.

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About the author:

John Stuart <traqair@aol.com>
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
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