The Upper Room devotional reflection for Saturday, November 12, 2022, comes to us from Jerry Albritton of Kentucky.
21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
Lamentations 3:22-23NRSV
ANOTHER TRY
Last week during a friendly round of golf, I hit an errant drive. I exclaimed, “Man I wish I could have that one back? I’m sure I could do better.” Fortunately for me, my golfing partner said, “Give it another try.” So I did, and I hit the ball long and straight down the fairway. How many times in our lives have we wished to correct a mistake or retract an unpleasant word or action that hurt someone?
Many times I’ve thought about how a certain situation might have turned out differently if I had put myself in the other person’s shoes for a moment before reacting in an unwarranted, negative way. We are fortunate that our loving God understands the human heart and mind. No matter how many times we miss the mark, God gives us an unlimited supply of chances to correct our errant actions, while forgiving us as we try to learn from our mistakes.
Friends,
One of my favorite songs is entitled: Another Chance, sung by the Dallas Fort Worth Mass Choir. The song is a wonderful anthem of supplication and petition for grace. It reminds me of the great gift of repentance and the opportunity to start again offered to us by our loving God. Jerry’s reflection grants us a moment of pause, to contemplate the depth of appreciation for the second chances we received, and challenges us to offer others “another try.”
--Pastor Anthony
Prayer:
Dear God, bless us with courage and discernment to do what is right according to your will. Amen.
-- Jerry Albritton
Prayer Focus:
Those in need of another chance.
Thought for the day:
God’s forgiveness is always accomplished by another chance.