I was observing in church this past Sunday morning at the close of the worship service thepeople the came to the altar for prayer. Some came individually, others in pairs, and some as a complete family unit. Since the day Jesus came into my life and church attendance became a major part of it, I have always been touched by the scenes of people praying at the altar. I am especially impressed when entire families pray together and am a proponent of the belief that a local Funeral Home owner expressed on billboards all around San Antonio many years ago. His slogan was: “Families that pray together, stay together.” I am even more grateful that the Lord has allowed me to be an active participant in these altar prayer times.
While at the altar this past Sunday, this thought also entered my mind: “I wonder what partregret is playing in the hearts of those who are praying here today.” I was immediately reminded of the words of a contemporary Christian song by Matthew West. This is the way his musical message begins: “Hello, my name is regret. I’m pretty sure we have met. Every single day of your life, I’m the whisper inside that won’t let you forget.” His words ring true and as far as regrets are concerned, I believe it is safe to say we all have them. In fact, they may be in the hearts and minds of some who are reading this blog today. Because of Christ, our regrets are no longer an unbearable burden to us. On the other hand, if one or two of you are still struggling mightily with this issue, complete victory from it is as close to you as your next prayer. Paul wrote: Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:10) While it is true that the sorrow of the world can kill us, it is equally true that if we bring our burden to the Lord He can free us completely and regret will no longer torment us. All of us have past mistakes we can never undo but if God already forgave them and forgot about them, we don’t have to dwell on them either. We should focus instead on creating good memories for our future. Be free and enjoy your life in Christ.
Memory Verse for the week: (Hebrews 10:23) Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.
PS: You can hear the Matthew West song and see the lyrics at this web address: http://youtubeZuJWQzjfU3o
