One Small Requirement

Psalm 145:14 - The Lord helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads.

It's very easy for us to think that we've gone too far, or crossed a line that we can never cross back over from.  Some of us believe that God couldn't possibly forgive us THIS time.  The truth is He can and He will.

There is only one small requirement.  We have to trust that He will.  We have to believe that He will respond favorably to our prayers when we humbly submit our will to Him.  I know what you're probably thinking: Wayne, you said one small requirement, but listed two.  Well, they're really the same thing.

God has promised us eternity since the beginning of time, as long as we remain faithful to Him.  Since we are all fallen human beings, He doesn't expect us to be perfect.  He expects us to fall from time to time.  Jesus told us that if we had the faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains (Luke 17:6).  That's really all it takes to believe that God can and will redeem and restore us - a little bit of faith.

Abraham sure wasn't perfect.  He lied repeatedly to save his own skin.  But when he was humble to God and showed Him the faith God required, God blessed Him immensely.  Moses was a murderer.  David is always a good example.  He was anointed as a teenager and spent the next 10 or 15 years running for his life from King Saul.  It would have been easy for him to reject God's plan that brought him heartache and grief for almost a decade and a half.  But he didn't.  He remained faithful (he did write this Psalm, after all), and God put him and his descendants on the throne for eternity.  The great thing about David, was that even after God showed Himself faithful to David by protecting him all those years, David still messed up.  Pretty badly at times.  He was an adulterer and a murderer, but was repentant when confronted with his sins.  Because of that mustard seed faith that David showed by repenting, he was restored in God's heart and was referred to by God as a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).

All it takes is the smallest amount of faith for God to work.  He only needs to get His foot in the door to change our hearts, but we have to let Him in.  He will stand at the door and knock, but we have to open it.  He can do wonders with broken people (Peter), or people who think they've gone too far (Paul).  His power works best in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).  As long as you still have breath in your lungs, you are not beyond redemption.  You have not crossed the line that you cannot be brought back from.  Trust God for your deliverance and redemption.  The price paid for your life in God's eternal Kingdom was more than enough.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your free gift of salvation.  I know I have believed in the past that I had gone too far, but I am blessed that You have shown me that I haven't.  You have shown me countless times that I am loved with a love that is greater than anything I could possibly imagine.  You demonstrated that love for all of us on the cross, and promise that our sins will be removed as far as east is from west.  I pray for those that believe they have gone too far.  My prayer is that they will take that step of faith towards You, and believe that You can and will heal and restore them.  I pray that we will always remember that You love us unconditionally, and continue to trust in You by coming humbly before You in repentance.  Your grace will always be sufficient.  In the name of Jesus, Amen!



God Bless!!!