Jennifer’s mom picked up her new teddy bear, the one Jennifer had been praying for, “Don’t you want the teddy bear?” Jennifer’s face squinched up and tears spilled from her eyes, “NO, I can’t have it!” Pulling Jennifer close, her mom asked, “What’s wrong honey?” “I ..messed ..up, I don’t ….deserve it,” Jennifer stammered between sobs.
Her mom cupped Jennifer’s face with her hands, “Look at me honey. What you did to the cat is in the past and we have forgiven you. We didn’t get you the teddy bear because you never mess up. We all mess up. We got you the teddy bear because we love you.”
Have you ever felt like Jennifer? In faith, you prayed and prayed for something, but when it came you couldn’t receive it?
THERE IS MORE TO FAITH
THEN ASKING,
WE ALSO HAVE TO RECEIVE IN FAITH.
Therefore, I say to you,
whatever things you ASK when you pray,
believe that you RECEIVE them,
and you will have them,
Mark 11:24
Receive in the Greek Strong’s Concordance #2983 means “to take, accept.”
WHAT PREVENTS US FROM RECEIVING SOMETHING WE HAVE ASKED FOR?
SOMETIMES IT’S
OUR
MISTAKES.
Why did Jennifer’s parents give her the teddy bear she had longingly prayed for? Out of love. Yet, Jennifer could not receive it because she felt she didn’t deserve it.
Jennifer’s parents may have forgiven her, but I’m not so sure the cat did. Nor had Jennifer forgiven herself for messing up.
ISN’T THAT LIKE US?
Sometimes our mistakes seem to weigh so heavily on us that we have trouble forgiving ourselves. Our mistakes keep popping up in our mind or someone keeps reminding us of them. Then what happens? We beat ourselves up again! We think, “I don’t deserve anything good because I messed up.”
GOD DOESN’T GIVE US GIFTS BECAUSE WE DESERVE THEM.
HE GIVES THEM
BECAUSE HE LOVES US.
What gifts?
There are many gifts, but two that make my top 10 list are His love and forgiveness. They go hand in hand. Imagine loving everyone, even those who hate you. God’s love for us, is so great that He loves us even if we don’t love Him, even if we mess up.
This is love:
not that we loved God,
but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice
for our sins,
! John 4:10 NIV
Then there is forgiveness.** Think about all the people in the Bible who have messed up; Abraham lied, King David committed adultery, at one time Paul persecuted believers, and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t matter what we have done, God’s love is so great that He readily and freely forgives everyone who asks.
If we confess our sins,
He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,
1 John 1:9
The Lord even gives us an extra bonus! He not only forgives, but removes our mistakes far away from us. We never have to worry that the Lord will remind us of our mistakes.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us,
Psalm 103:12
OUR MISTAKES ARE NEVER
TOO BIG
FOR THE LORD TO FORGIVE
OUR MISTAKES ARE NEVER
TOO BIG
TO KEEP THE LORD FROM LOVING US
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life,
nor angels nor principalities nor powers,
nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth,
nor any other created thing,
shall be able to separate us from the love of God
which is in Jesus Christ our Lord,
Romans 8: 38-39
LET’S RISE ABOVE OUR MISTAKES!
We can have faith that when we ask something that is the Lord’s will,* He wants to give it to us. He also wants us to forgive ourselves and receive it just like Jennifer’s parents wanted the same for her. In HIs love for us, He wants to help us rise above our mistakes forgiving ourselves and receiving His gifts of love and forgiveness as well as the desires of our hearts.
Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,
that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
And if we know that He hears us,
whatever we ask,
we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him,
1 John 5:14-15
REFLECTION
Is there something you have difficulty receiving because you messed up?
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, as I write Mark 11:24, and say it aloud, help me to ask in faith according to Your will and receive it. Help me to to receive Your gifts of love and forgiveness also loving and forgiving myself. In Jesus name. Amen.
LET’S ASK & RECEIVE IN FAITH
Comment!
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*For information on making Jesus Christ your Savior, email me or visit, http://www.peacewithgod.net/
Photo bear, Mingo123
Photo cat, pexel
Photo child, tung256
* Faith for God’s Will – BOWLING ANYONE? – DianeLese
** There’s Faith In Forgiveness – WHOSE SHOES?! – DianeLese
