Courage to Remain and Believe Again

Every new beginning has the potential for unseen problems. Realizing some problems are beyond fixing may generate the impulse to retreat to a familiar comfort zone. However, seeking God’s insight and wisdom will give you courage to remain faithful to his purpose for you.

Moses encountered a stalemate with God’s people at Mount Sinai. He panicked at the thought of God’s withdrawing his protection because of the people’s sin. God had revealed himself to Moses, but still Moses needed assurance to squelch his fear of going forward without God’s presence.

Listen to Moses’ desperation from Exodus 33:12: "You have told me, lead these people, but you have not let me know who will assist me. You  said, `I know you and have found favor with you.` If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I will be assured you favor me." If you’re at a dead end with your faith, ask God for courage to believe again. Prepare yourself spiritually to receive his response.

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So you must never give up your confident courage, for it holds a rich reward for you. Indeed, to carry out the will of God and to receive the blessing he has promised, you need endurance.

~Hebrews 10:35-36 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

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Repent – Don't Return and Resume

When a new beginning fails to meet expectations, returning to a previous position or place is often a first choice. Although this option is convenient, it might not be the best choice. For instance, it would be unwise to tell a new Christian to resume a previous lifestyle after failing to live morally perfect. Encouraging that person to start over with repentance and forgiveness is within the bounds of God’s grace and mercy.

When the Hebrew people failed miserably at being God's people, Moses refused to let them self-destruct in shame and disgrace. Instead he pleaded with God to give them a new beginning.

Deliberate sin and disobedience may have long-term consequences, yet God describes himself as compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, and faithful to forgive wickedness, rebellion, and sin. If you have fallen short of a new beginning, God will give you a new start and a new attitude along with a new plan of action that he will bless.

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I have sinned against you – only against you – and done what you consider evil. So you are right in judging me; you are justified in condemning me. Close your eyes to my sins and wipe out all my evil. Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me. Do not banish me from your presence; do not take your holy spirit away from me. Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.

~Psalm 51:4,9-12 Good News Bible

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Blessed by Forgiveness – Blessed to Forgive

 One significant blessing that God extends to us is forgiveness, and yet the most difficult task we experience as human beings is forgiving others who have offended us. We often take seriously the attitude of Heinrich Heine, the sixteenth century German poet, who humorously noted, "You should forgive your enemies, but not before they've been punished or hanged."

A Japanese proverb noted, "Forgiving the unrepentant is like trying to paint a picture on the surface of water." A requirement for receiving forgiveness is letting go of pride and blame so you can be repentant before God and others.

Achieving this goal is possible only as you extend forgiveness to others. Matthew 6:15 warns, "If you refuse to forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will not forgive your sins.” As difficult as it is to forgive, it’s the only way to achieve peace and receive God’s promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.” 

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And forgive us our debts (sins) as we have forgiven our debtors [letting go of both the wrong and the resentment].

~Matthew 6:12 Amplified Bible 

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Leave Behind Your "Golden Calf"

Whenever a commitment is made to launch a new beginning, some aspect of your previous life has to be left behind. When the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, they would have to forsake the practice of idol worship. The first and second Commandments state: “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourselves any graven images.”

At Mount Sinai they willfully put their future at risk by creating and worshipping a golden calf. Recklessness and boredom can be responsible for a lapse in judgment which becomes a prelude to sin. Experiencing these conditions can lead to poor judgement, which in turn produces painful and negative consequences.

Getting severely stressed out tends to generate thoughts that “Life should be better,” and “I deserve more happiness.” The golden calf looked really good to the Hebrew people, and they imagined it could be the answer to their problems. Can you imagine that? While God could not negate the consequences of their sin, he was willing to forgive them as they abandoned the worship of idols. 

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The Lord said to Moses: "Leave this place, [Mount Sinai], you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt, and go to the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to their descendants."

~Exodus 33:1 Good News Bible

I have not yet reached my goal, and I am not perfect. But Christ has taken hold of me. So I keep on running and struggling to take hold of the prize. My friends, I don’t feel that I have already arrived. But I forget what is behind, and I struggle for what is ahead.

~Philippians 3:12-13 Contemporary English Version

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Sin's Bridge of Separation

When God’s people crafted a Golden calf to worship, they committed a sin that would have immediate and long-term consequences. Sin built a bridge that separated them from God’s blessings. The significance of sin is that it demands a shift of loyalty away from God.

Although Moses was extremely angry and disappointed with his brother Aaron and all the others involved in this sin, he was not willing to give up on them or their goals for a new nation in the Promised Land. Moses appealed to God to forgive them of their unfaithfulness. He did for them what they unwilling or unable to do for themselves.

Lack of maturity and faith is responsible for bad judgment which leads to sin. As Moses went before God to make atonement for their sin, Jesus died on the cross so we could be forgiven. As your advocate, Jesus pleads with God to forgive you of the sin you’ve committed. Your response should be continuous praise and thanksgiving. Will you do that? 

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For Christ Himself, once for all, died for our sins, the Innocent for the guilty to bring us to God, being put to death in physical form but made alive in the Spirit.  

~1 Peter 3:18 Williams – New Testament in the Language of the People

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Don't Sabotage New Beginnings

Everyone is capable of misjudging a person. A young man dropped out of college to go into business and was extremely successful. He married a woman whose family earned college and graduate degrees. His success provided wealth, yet he felt less than his in-laws, whom he thought valued education above wealth.

The Israelites misjudged God's patience when they created a golden calf to worship. Can you imagine how Moses felt when he saw the people singing and dancing in front of the golden calf? Moses burned with so much anger that he threw the tablets on the ground, breaking them into pieces.

He had misjudged their faith and commitment to God and to him.  They misjudged God's patience and the extent to which they could go before tragedy would strike them down. However, Moses pleaded with God to withhold his anger and not destroy them. Some misjudgments can sabotage a new beginning, but with courage and a renewed faith in Christ Jesus, a new start is possible for you. 

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This being so, I want to remind you to stir into flame the strength and boldness that is in you, that entered into you when I laid my hands upon your head and blessed you. For the Holy Spirit, God’s gift, does not want you to be afraid of people, but to be wise and strong, and to love them enjoy being with them.

~2 Timothy 1:6-7 The Living Bible

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Misjudging God

 When the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, they willingly gave up slavery for freedom. However, they failed to realize how difficult and demanding freedom would be. They misjudged what was required to live by faith in the God who had demonstrated his awesome power against the Egyptians.

They also misjudged God’s tolerance for their disobedience and their bent toward worshiping idols like the golden calf they had constructed while Moses was receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai. Each of us is capable of constructing a golden calf in one form or another, like beauty, clothes, a house, or an automobile.

Misjudgments will happen, but as you recognize your lapse in judgment, there is hope for new beginnings. Most misjudgments cannot be retracted, yet God gives you courage to face the consequences and provides opportunities for wiser choices. As you realize the extent of God’s grace, you should feel encouraged to love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. 

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[O Lord,] when my thoughts were bitter and my feelings were hurt, I was as stupid as an animal; I did not understand you. Yet, I always stay close to you, and you hold me aby the hand. You guide me with your instruction and at the end you will receive me with honor.

~Psalm 73:21-24 Good News Bible

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