Sometimes we do things that we know we should not do without counting the cost of our actions.  I know I have.  In 2016, I left the Lord in several ways.  I am still digging myself out of holes six years later of the decisions I made.  Yes, God forgave me but there are consequences to our sin.  God wants you to also know he has forgiven you.  I found myself like Peter.  I never ever thought I would do what I did but I did. Jesus told Peter he would betray him three times and Peter denied it, but the Lord knew him better than he knew himself.

Maybe the cares of this life brought you to a place of compromise and you did somethings you never thought you would.  Many people took money from funds that they should not have during this pandemic.  Some worked and took unemployment benefits.  Some participated in the looting in the city. Desperation made people do things in this last season just to survive.  Peter found himself suddenly shifted into survival mode and he did just what Jesus told him he would. 

Nothing you have ever done has surprised Jesus.  This last season was to show you what was inside of you, the good, bad and the ugly.  But Jesus told Peter in

Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail.  And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

God wants you to know he has prayed for you like he did for Peter. For some, you have been in a season of restoration.  You found yourself like Samson that thought, I’ll just shake myself like I did before but in this last season, you felt like God left you.  God wants you to know just like he allowed Samson’s hair to grow back and his strength returned that he is restoring you. He wants you to know he is with you.   Forgive yourself just like Peter and Samson had to do.  Just like I had to do. You may be saying like Samson did, Lord remember me and avenge me for my two eyes. Samson caused his own suffering.  He kept playing with the enemies, he was called to destroy.  But God, in his great love, grace and mercy forgave Samson.  He answered Samson’s prayer and he allowed him to destroy more Philistines in his death than he did in his life.  God is going to allow you to do more damage to the enemies’ kingdom than you ever would have now because you were wounded. He is about to avenge you.

And for some, you are now ready and are being commissioned to turn around and to begin to share your testimony and strengthen your brothers and sisters. God is opening opportunities.  Its time to release that book.  It’s time to do the things you have wanted to do for a long time, but you weren’t ready. God loves you and because you have repented and turned back, he is holding nothing against you. God says, you are ready now because he heard you when you asked him to remember you.