Every single person you will pass on your journey today has a story...a past. And each of us have the ability to use that story to help someone else in life. I don't care if you feel like your story is so full of trash, bad decisions, regret and embarrassing choices you would rather nobody ever know, God can use it. Or maybe you come from a past of good grades, good choices throughout your youth, a good home life and a blessings on your life....God can use it. Maybe you have come out of a life of neglect, pain, misguided trust and rejection....God can use you. You see the only thing that will stop God from using your past is you never allowing Him too. Once we come to God our past is dead and gone the truest healing you will ever experience can begin in your life. And once God begins to heal you He will also begin to open your eyes up to people who have been through what you have been through....no matter how bad....or how good your past is. God knows the people around us, or the people He will put in our paths, that need to hear our story. I may not be able to relate to someone that you can because of my past, and you may not be able to relate to someone I can. I recently told someone who is young and does not have a rough past, that if we both opened up to the same person about our pasts, and that person grew up in a good Christian home but was just struggling, then they may not receive me because my past is "rougher" than his and until they understand Gods grace and mercy, they may have the attitude of "who are you to tell me, your past is worse than mine". So it would take someone with with a clean past, but a true love for God, to get through to that person. Where as, if I were talking to someone who has been through some junk and a divorce, and I wanted to share God's love with them, they would be able to see that He has rescued me, healed me and changed me into who I am. And that would give them hope! So it doesn't matter if YOU think you are usable....it only matters that YOU make yourself available to be used. God will make you usable. Which brings me to my next point....
In our prayer ministry I have come across so many people who just don't think they are forgivable, let alone usable. It is hard to get them to understand that God can and does forgive them for ANYTHING they have done and that all they need to do is turn their heart toward Him and repent. But getting someone to understand God can forgive them.....and they can forgive themselves...is a very tough thing to do sometimes. The enemy is working overtime to make us feel "less than", unforgivable, low and shameful....so to let that go and receive what God has can be very difficult for people. But wow, when you get to see a person set free from all of that and receive God's forgiveness...and then forgive themselves....it is truly beautiful thing. And that is God's plan, that no matter where you come from and where you have been, He wants healing and restoration in your life. I know in my past blogs I have compared God to a GPS. I've talked about how a GPS has one job, and that is to get you somewhere. No matter how many wrong turns you take along the way, it will continue to reroute you to get you to the place you are meant to be. God also wants to get you to a place, and He too will continue to open and close doors in your life, direct your path and help you get pointed back in the right direction. Throughout life we can stray away and go off in our own directions, but He will continue to try and take us to the place He wants us to be. And as many times as I have used that analogy, never once have I seen the part I'm about to share.... Last night while praying with someone God had me once again use that analogy, only this time He showed me something new to show that person...and to talk about today. And it's beautiful!!! When your GPS does finally get you to the place you were trying to get to, it doesn't matter how many times you turned left when it said right. It doesn't matter how many times it made a suggestion and you didn't take it because you thought you knew a better way. Once you get to the final destination, it does NOT remind you of how many mistakes you made along the way. It does not say "well, after 16 wrong turns and heading completely off the suggested path 3 times, you have finally reached your destination". No, it simply says "you have arrived". People, this is the God we serve. When we come to Him and drop to our knees and ask for forgiveness He does NOT say "after hurting 6 people in your life, and ruining 12 years making bad choices, and stumbling through 2 marriages...you have finally got here". He simply says "I'm so glad your here, you have arrived".
If you have not experienced this kind of forgiveness from God. If you have not found a way to forgive yourself. If you have not realized that no matter what your past looks like, God can and wants to use you....then please turn to someone who can help you. Ask Him to bring someone into your life that can point you to Him for answers and help you on your journey. He loves you and desires to see you restored and made brand new! Only His love, His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy has the power to do those things in your life!
God, Thank You once again for your amazing forgiveness. Thank you for your limitless grace. Thank You and praise You for Your power to restore ANY life. Please help us reach those who need to hear how amazing You are, and let them experience what ONLY You can offer them. Let them experience a life made new and grow in You so they too can help others find You by using their story. In Jesus name, Amen
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