Failure is Not Final

Failure is Not Final TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: …But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead Phillipians 3:13, NIV. TODAY'S WORD: Are you down on yourself today because of past mistakes you’ve made or because you’re not where you want to be in life? God knows every poor choice, every difficulty, every wrong turn you may have made, and He’s already planned your comeback! In scripture, Jonah took a detour, so to speak. It took him a little bit longer, but because he called out to God, because he believed, God not only rescued him, but God got him to his final destination. Friend, know today that failure is not final. God always has the final say. Mistakes don’t have to keep you from your destiny. God’s plan can override every setback. Your world may be in turmoil today in a relationship, in your finances or health. But know this: not only will God rescue you; He will set your feet on a rock and lead you to your final destination in life. Remember, the promise He placed on the inside of you didn’t go away because you had some personal failures. No, that failure is only temporarym but His Word remains forever! Keep hoping, keep believing because He will move you into the blessing and victory He has prepared for you! PRAYER FOR TODAY: Father God, thank You for Your hand of victory and blessing that is on my life. Today, I shake off the past, I shake off failure, I shake off poor choices and trust that You are restoring me and leading me into the plan You have for me in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Jesus Is Worth the Journey by Rick Warren “When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.”(Matthew 2:1 NCV) Searching for truth isn’t a part-time job. It takes everything you have. The Wise Men teach us this in the Christmas story. The Wise Men were willing to go to any length to find truth. Matthew 2:1 says,“When Jesus was born, some wise men from the east came to Jerusalem”(NCV). We can assume that the Wise Men traveled many miles from the Far East to the Middle East at great expense to find Jesus. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which is just six miles from Jerusalem. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Jerusalem was the spiritual center of the world. All kinds of spiritual activity was taking place in Jerusalem. All of the major religious leaders of the world were in Jerusalem, but none of them were seeking Jesus. Only people on the outside — the Wise Men from a completely different culture — were looking for Jesus. King Herod missed baby Jesus. So did the business leaders of Bethlehem. You can have Jesus right in your midst and still miss him if you’re not looking for him. But the Wise Men looked for Jesus. They were willing to make a four to five-month trip across a scorching hot desert to find Jesus. They were serious about seeking God. They were willing to do whatever it took to find him. That’s wise. It’s what we need to do as well. We can’t let anything get in the way of our search for God. It’s the most important achievement in the world. Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a pearl that is so valuable we will sell everything we have to get it. It seems the Wise Men from the East understood this long before Jesus ever spoke the parable. The Wise Men were willing to give up everything they had to worship Jesus. They were willing to give up the comforts of their homes for a long, tough journey because they had the right motive in searching for Jesus. They wanted to worship him. What would you give up in order to worship Jesus? Talk It Over What is the most difficult thing in your life to give up in order seek Jesus whole-heartedly? What holds you back from seeking Jesus with complete abandon? What makes a relationship with Jesus so valuable that it’s worth giving up everything for?