Everyone Makes Mistakes

Scripture:

Gensis 38:24-26 (ESV)

About three months later Judah was told, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has been immoral.  Moreover, she is pregnant by immorality.”  And Judah said, “Bring her out, and let her be burned.” As she was being brought out, she sent word to her father-in-law, “By the man to whom these belong, I am pregnant.” And she said, “Please identify whose these are, the signet and the cord and the staff.”  Then Judah identified them and said, “She is more righteous than I, since I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not know her again.

Devotional:

To be honest I am not sure why chapter 38 is in the Bible.  I do know it is a story God wants us to know about.  Otherwise it wouldn’t have been added.  Judah’s wife passed away.  His oldest two sons had also died.  Shelah was supposed to marry Tamar after the deaths of his older brothers.  Judah came up with a loophole in fear of losing him as well.  On a road trip Judah makes a mistake.  In the verses above Tamar identifies him as the man who slept with her. 

Reading about Judah’s story reminds me of the fact that we all have our moments.  At some point we make mistakes.  As I read through different chapters of the Bible, I think why were the Israelites so dense?  Why would they keep turning their backs from God?  Why repeatedly fall away?  Unlike the Israelites who lived it out I can read in minutes or a few hours about entire generations.  They lived through decades and centuries what I read in moments.  Sitting from where I am it is easy to be judgmental.

Looking back at my life I can see the many mistakes I have made.  I see where I have fallen.  In truth I am no better than they were.  Also, it is not my place to judge.  As I think about Judah and what happens from giving in to a moment of passion.  I think of all the times I messed up because of a moment of desire or passion.  I mess up because I am impatient.  I mess up because of…

It is a simple fact; we have all made mistakes in our lives.  We have all sinned.  We take matters into our own hands.  Maybe God doesn’t give us the answer we want.  Maybe we do not like waiting as long as God tells us to wait.  Maybe it is something else entirely.  Whatever the reason we take matters into our own hands.  Maybe we make a mistake for another reason entirely.  It does not matter how or why.  The fact is we have sinned.  We have made a mistake. 

The good news is that we have redemption.  We have forgiveness.  We have a restored relationship with the Father because of the Son.  No matter what it is we can turn to Him and ask to be forgiven.  We are forgiven…