How many areas in our lives are we encouraged to learn from our mistakes?  How often are we comforted and even forwarned with the thought of, "you have to do it wrong before you can appreciate it being done right?"  How long have we let ourselves derive the concept that it is only through failure that we can seemingly grow?

Let me begin by acknowledging that lessons I have learned in life as a result of my mistakes have basically shaped my life.  I make no quarrel over the fact that we can and indeed should learn from the mistakes that we will make today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our days on earth.  My questions arise from a thought that I am in dire need to learn through mistakes though, simply because I am too stubborn to learn also through prosperity.

My Bible study today brought me to the idea of covenants with God.  In several occasions in life, it is part of our protocol to renew our covenant with God.  In times of recovery, perhaps from what was once thought as a life-ending illness, we turn to the Lord and renew our covenant with His blood in exchange for this second chance of life.  In times of deliverance, after we've spent too much time wrapped up in the trouble and turmoil of this world, we often find ourselves turning to God re-offering ourselves to him with a regulatory, "it won't happen again."  And lastly, and correctly, in times of sin, we refocus our vision on the Lord and ask for His forgiveness and strength to overcome sinful strongholds in our lives.  None of these "covenant renewals" are bad things.  It's never a poor decision to turn back to the Creator, Redeemer, and Savior in times of brokenness.  But if it's never a poor decision, why don't we try to always honor our covenant in times of prosperity?  Why do we wait to break a vow to renew it, rather than praying that our old vows wont' be broken?

God's blessed me more than I've messed up in life.  Think about it, it's kind of like the Dwayne Wade commercial, "Fall down seven times, Stand up eight."  No matter how bad I screw up, I receive the blessing of forgiveness from my God.  In addition to forgiving my sins though, God also blesses me daily with things I openly acknowledge.  As I see these blessings however, I rarely turn to God and thank Him for them, and even more seldom am I inspired to talk about my covenant with the Lord.  Shame on me.  If nothing else, I should be offering renewed prayers that my previous vows would not be dishonored.  He knows I need that.

I'm on the right path, I can feel it.  But a life on the right path today, could be a life really messed up tomorrow if I don't make right and keep right with the One leading the way. 

In Love,

Bob