Have you ever felt unreachable? Untouchable? Unlovable? I know I have. I am my own worst critic. I can see my own shortcomings and faults and tend to beat myself up over them time and time again. I have to admit that I sometimes fall prey to the lies of the enemy that I am no longer within God’s care when I fall short of what He calls me to be.
We know, however, that those thoughts are nothing but lies and craftiness used by the enemy to attempt to render us useless for His kingdom’s work. Psalm 139 tells us that we were knit together by God himself, and every one of our days is known before they come to be. No matter what we do, no matter how far we fall, no matter how terribly we fail, we are still within God’s reach. He knew every good and bad thing we would ever do, and He created us, loved us, and sent His son to die for us anyway.
Despite our shortcomings, God will never stop loving us. Instead of spending time in regret, guilt and self-doubt, we must live in the freedom that the Lord has given. We must not take advantage of His gift of forgiveness, but instead seek to be more like Him. Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Let this be our daily prayer as we move past doubt and unbelief in the way the Lord loves us and walk in the freedom and forgiveness He promises.
J.J. Tuttle is pastor of Connected Church of the Nazarene in Carson City.
