Weekly Devotion

Moses and the Israelites had to travel around Edom, because their relatives wouldn't allow them to travel through their land. Very soon this longer journey proved too much for the Israelites and they did what they knew best, they started complaining again. They forgot all about God's provision for them and how He looked after them. They forgot that the reason that they were still in the wilderness was purely their own fault. They could have been in the Promised Land long ago, but due to their unbelief they were still stuck in the wilderness and they blamed everyone else but themselves:

"Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?" They complained. "There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this wretched manna!" Numbers 21:5

It was shocking to think that they could complain like this, but I suppose it is easy to judge them from where I was sitting in our comfortable home with all my favorite food at hand and aircon to cool the hottest part of the day…

But God didn't take their complaints lightly and sent poisonous snakes to kill them. Their complaining quickly turned into sorrow and remorse and they begged Moses to pray for them, which he did. God then instructed him to build a bronze snake and to attach it to the top of a pole. He said that everyone that looked at the snake will live. Of course it was not the snake that healed them, but their belief that God can, that did.

Jesus used this incident to tell us that we need to do the same to be healed. We need to look onto Him to be healed from the poisonous bite of sin:

"And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole, so that everyone who believes in Me will have eternal life." John 3:14,15

Only by looking up to Him can we be saved from the poison permeating through our bodies. Faith in Him is our ticket to new life. We can only truly run the race of life, if we are not slowed down by the weight of sin. We need to ask His forgiveness and try and move out of the wilderness into the Promised Land. And we can only do that if we leave our complaining behind, and move forward with His best interests in mind. He is sitting in the honored seat at the right hand of God and from there He knows what is best for us. And if we keep our eyes on Him, we will know where the best route for our lives will be and we will learn how to start living in the new life that He died to give us.

"And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from start to finish. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy He knew would be His afterward. Now He is seated in the place of highest honor beside God's throne in heaven." Hebrews 12:1,2

Father thank you for sending Jesus to die for us and to provide a new way of life for us. Thank you that we are cleansed from the poison of sin and help us to focus on Jesus, our High Priest and to live our lives in order to please You. Amen

Moses and the Israelites were camped at Kadesh and on their way to the Promised Land. But in order to reach the Promised Land they had to pass through Edom. Moses sent a friendly message to the King of Edom and asked him if they can pass through. Now the Edomites were relatives of the Israelites. The Edomites descended from Jacob's twin brother Esau. They were family so to speak. And now the Israelites simply wanted to pass through their land on friendly terms. They even promised that they will not go through their fields and vineyards, but that they will stay on the king's road and even pay if some of their life stock drink of their water. The poor Israelites have been through some hardship and one would expect family to assist where they can, but the King of Edom replied:

"Stay out of my land or I will meet you with an army!" Numbers 20:18

Moses pleaded with him again and asked that they merely wanted to pass through, that was all. But the King of Edom remained adamant that they must stay out of his land. How terrible to treat your own family like that, after all that they've been through, was it too much to ask? And what did Moses do? Did he retaliate? Did he tell the King of Edom just what he thought of him? Did he muster his army to fight? No, he was wise in knowing that retaliating was not worth the consequences. He turned the Israelites around and they had to move around the country of Edom.

Today we need to be wise as well in knowing when to stand up for what is right and when to turn the other cheek. Jesus tells us to turn the other cheek in Matthew 5:39:

"But I say, don't resist an evil person! If you are slapped on the right cheek, turn the other, too."

But interestingly enough when Jesus was slapped in the face during His trial, He didn't turn the other cheek, instead He said:

"If I said anything wrong, you must give evidence for it. Should you hit a man for telling the truth?" John 18:23

Now for me it is plain to see that Jesus is saying, you should turn the other cheek in humility and not retaliate, but one need to stand up for what is right if needs be. He wasn't given a fair trial, in fact everything concerning His trial was illegal and dishonest and here He exposed them for it.

The lesson for me is that we shouldn't retaliate. We should stop and consider the consequences. We should breathe in deeply and sleep over it if need be, and then we need to think carefully before we act. Of course we should stand up for what is right and stand for the truth of the Word if that is attacked, but we should refrain from getting even. Jesus could easily have wiped out the entire Roman army and the Jewish leaders if He wanted to for the unfair way in which He had been treated. But He didn't. He stood for the truth and He was true to His Father's Word, but He never retaliated. And we shouldn't either. We must leave the judgment to Him, when He comes to rule the world.

Father God, please give us the patience and the self control not to retaliate, even if we have been treated unfairly. Give us also the wisdom to stand up for what is right and to stand for the truth of Your Word if it is attacked. In Jesus' Name. Amen

The Israelites were moaning again, this time it was due to a lack of water. They rebelled against Moses and Aaron and they in turn turned to God and asked Him for help. God did help them and told Moses to get his staff, to assemble the community and to command the rock to pour out water and it will. Moses was obedient, like he had been for the past 40 years. He picked up his staff and he assembled the community in front of the rock. But then he deviated a little bit from what God told him to do:

"Listen you rebels!" he shouted. "Must we bring you water from this rock?" Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out.' Numbers 20:10, 11

Moses has had enough! After almost forty years of leading these people, Moses couldn't take it anymore. They had been moaning and grumbling from the beginning and they were disobedient to the Lord and to Moses on a number of occasions. This was the last straw! Moses didn't follow God's instructions, instead of speaking to the rock, he hit the rock twice and instead of giving glory to God, Moses claimed that he and Aaron gave them the water. And God was not pleased.

"Because you didn't trust Me enough to demonstrate My holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!" Numbers 20:12

When I read this I couldn't help but feel sorry for Moses. The poor man hasn't had it easy for the past 40 years. In fact he has had it rough. The Israelites were moaning the whole time, they were in an unpleasant desert due to their disobedience, they wanted to appoint other leaders a number of times instead of Moses and so I can go on. And in this forty years he acted admirably and he obeyed God down to the letter. Only this once he didn't obey Him 100%. And now due to this, he was denied access to the Promised Land. Poor Moses.

His punishment feels a bit harsh to me, but as I discussed in a previous devotion, the further advanced you are in your spiritual life, the more God expects of you. Moses was God's leader, but more than that he was called God's friend and he had the privilege of talking face to face with God, a privilege unheard of in those days. And therefore much more was expected of him. He was also God's role model to the people. They didn't have any other example to follow and therefore his disobedience had to be punished. Plus he also claimed that the miracle came from himself, which was seen as blasphemy in those days. Unfortunately he had to be punished.

How Moses reacted was not recorded in the Bible. I am sure he must have been devastated. The Promised Land was what he had been looking forward to for forty years and now he had been denied access. He must have been down in the dumps! But he certainly didn't stay there. The next we read is how he started to lead the Israelites forward towards their entrance point into Canaan. He didn't remain depressed, but continued with the task ahead.

Sometimes we can also have severe setbacks. Sometimes the setbacks are due to our own fault, or due to someone else's, but we cannot let it keep us down. We need to move forward like Moses did. We need to keep on going, God's plan for us hasn't ended and His guidance is not now a thing of the past. He will help you to get up again and to stand tall again. Trust Him and ask Him for His help, He won't let you down.

Father, please forgive us if we have sinned against You and others. Please help us to get on our feet again. We would like to move forward with You and experience Your glory and power again. Thank you that we can know that You are there to help and to guide us. Amen

The Israelites were camped out at Kadesh, 37 years since the twelve scouts went to spy out the Promised Land. And true to their style they were moaning again. This time they moaned and groaned because there was no water for them to drink. They turned and rebelled against Moses and Aaron. They in turn walked away from the people to the Lord and fell face down in front of Him, humbling themselves in His presence. What a wonderful example to follow! When things look bleak and gloomy, turn to God, He will help you and show you the way. And He did help them:

"You and Aaron must take the staff and assemble the entire community. As the people watch, command the rock over there to pour out its water. You will get enough water from the rock to satisfy all the people and their livestock." Numbers 20:8

Wow, the Lord didn't promise just a little trickle of water, no He promised that the water will pour out and satisfy not only their thirst, but the thirst of their livestock too! What an amazing Rock we serve!

This is confirmed in Psalm 78:15, 16:

'He split open the rocks in the wilderness to give them plenty of water, as from a gushing spring. He made streams pour from the rock, making the waters flow down like a river!'

Our God is a God of plenty and of abundance! And in 1 Corinthians 10:4 Paul also makes a bold statement in saying that Jesus Himself was that rock from which the waters flowed.

'For they all drank from the miraculous rock that travelled with them and that rock was Christ.'

Jesus Himself confirms this:

"If you are thirsty come to Me! If you believe in Me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within." John 7:37

"Those who believe in Me will never thirst." John 6:35

"People soon become thirsty again after drinking this water. But the water I give them takes away thirst altogether. It becomes a perpetual spring within them, giving them eternal life." John 4:13

Jesus is our Spring of living water. He gave water to the Israelites in the desert and not just a trickle; He gave them a river of water pouring out of Him. And today, He wants to give us a river of living water too. And not only a river that can dry up, He wants to give us a spring of water that bubbles over in absolute joy and peace. All of us that believe in Him have that spring within us and we need to utilize it. We need to drink of it through spending time with Him and through reading the Bible. We need to lessen our thirst, but more than that, we need to let the water flow out for all to see. We need to give water to a world that is thirsty. Only His living water has any lasting value. Let the river within you bless those around you and provide life to those who are spiritually dead.

Jesus, thank you for providing us with living waters. Thank you for Your perpetual spring bubbling inside of us. You are amazing and You are our God of more than enough. You don't just provide for our needs, You give us so much more. Thank you so much, we love You. Amen

We are currently in Numbers 20 and according to the comments in my Bible, 37 years had passed since Israel's first scouting mission and almost 40 years since leaving Egypt. Now the Bible is silent about the 37 years that had passed, but I am quite certain that it wasn't 37 pleasant years. Judging by the people once again complaining at Kadesh:

"We wish we had died in the Lord's presence with our bothers! Did you (Moses) bring the Lord's people into this wilderness to die, along with all our livestock? Why did you make us leave Egypt and bring us here to this terrible place? This land has no grain, figs, grapes or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!" Numbers 20:3 - 5

Poor old Moses, here he was receiving the blame again. As I was reading this, I realized that Moses almost never received any praise from the people he was shepherding on God's behalf. They were always moaning and complaining about him and trying to make someone else the leader instead of him. And on more than one occasion he had to plead with the Lord not to destroy these people, despite all the evil they have said and done to him. Moses never had it easy. Plus he had to suffer in the wilderness alongside all these people, despite the fact that he didn't do anything wrong. He wanted to go and possess the Promised Land, but it was the people who refused to go.

And this is a lesson for us. We tend to think if we are walking in the will of the Lord everything will go well with us. We will have a smooth ride and everything will go according to plan. I have even heard people say that when everything is well, you are in God's Will and when things go wrong or bad things happen, you are not in God's Will. Now that is a very daring statement to make. It wouldn't seem like it to me if you look at Moses' life. He has done everything God has told him to do, he surely was in God's perfect will for his life, but he certainly didn't have it easy.

Nor did several other people in the Bible that lived according to God's plan for them. Isaiah who faithfully preached God's message was sawn in half, Abraham was obedient in leaving his comfortable home but had to live like a nomad without his own country for the rest of his life, John the Baptist who announced the coming of the Messiah was beheaded, Peter who was a main leader in the early church was crucified, Paul who wrote most of the New Testament was beheaded and so I can go on. If I search through the Bible it would seem to me that following the Lord don't mean that we have a smooth ride. I mean Jesus, our Messiah, certainly didn't have one either. But what it does mean is that we can have ultimate fulfillment that we have run the good race and finished with an imperishable crown. And we can have God's peace and joy that transcends all understanding whilst in the situation we are planted in. We will have His loving arms around us and we will experience His presence.

And at the end of the day God's approval is what counts. He approved of all the names I mentioned above. Today they are heroes of the faith and we look up to them, but in their day they had it rough. We might also have it rough, but look up to God, the beginning and the end of our faith, and ask Him to lead you. If you are suffering for His sake, then it is worth it. He is molding you into a hero of the faith and you will reap your rewards some day, just keep on believing.

Father, thank you that we can know that one day we will have it smooth, one day we will live with You and we will be treated as royalty. But thank you that You are with us today too and that You are looking after us like a tender-loving parent. We love You, help us to stand strong. Amen

Korah rebelled against Moses, due to him being jealous over the role that God gave Moses and it cost him dearly. He also incited Dathan and Abiram to follow him in this rebellion as well as 250 of Israel's leaders. Today I would like to look at their, as well as the Israelites' reaction during this whole debacle.

First of all let's look at the comment that Dathan and Abiram made to Moses. If it was not such a serious issue, it would be a laughing matter!

"Isn't it enough that you brought us out of Egypt, a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us here in the wilderness, and that you now treat us like your subjects? What's more, you haven't brought us into the land flowing with milk and honey or given us the inheritance of fields and vineyards. Are you trying to fool us?" Numbers 16:13, 14

Isn't it just shocking?! They definitely had memory loss! They totally forgot about their slavery in Egypt and they totally forgot that Moses led them right to the border of the Promised Land and they didn't want to enter. And Moses never treated them like subjects, he simply gave them God's orders. It is so easy to rather blame others than to take responsibility for our own actions.

Furthermore, the whole community of Israel joined them in their rebellion. Can you believe it? After all Moses had done for them, after all the mighty miracles done by God to prove that Moses was His chosen one? It is truly shocking. And God now proved to them how wrong they were. He struck all 250 leaders with fire and all of them died instantly. He went further and opened the ground to swallow up Dathan, Abiram, their families and all their possessions. The earth closed over them and all of them vanished. All the Israelites were witnesses to this. But you won't believe what happened right the next day:

'The very next morning the whole community began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You two killed the Lord's people!" Numbers 16:41

What nerve they had! They didn't want to accept responsibility. It was their own fault that they were stuck in the wilderness instead of the wonderful Promised Land and it was their own fault that their rebellious leaders died. They didn't want to follow God's appointed one and they shifted the blame due to them as it pleased them. God did not take this lightly and a plague started to spread amongst the people. Amazingly Moses told Aaron to act quickly and to atone for the people, and instead of killing all of them God killed only 14 700. What a story! And a true one at that!

I think we can learn two things here. First of all, don't shift the blame when you are at fault. Be bigger than the moment and accept responsibility for what you have done. Blame shifting is not going to change your situation; in fact it only makes matters worse! And second of all, if you are the one being blamed like Moses here; don't take revenge, but leave it in God's hands. And even pray for them and ask God to forgive them like Moses did here. He was truly an amazing man! I don't know many people who would have done what he did. I don't know if I would either, I think I would be glad if they get what they deserved, but that is not what we learn from Moses. He truly cared and he interceded for these people even though they were his enemies at this stage. He was a true leader and a man after God's heart.

Father please forgive us if we sin and continue to sin by blaming others instead of accepting the responsibility ourselves. Help us to seek forgiveness and to move on. That is Your will for us we know. You want us to confess our sins, ask forgiveness and continue in Your walk. Please help us to do just that. Amen

The Israelites were camped out in the Wilderness after they didn't want to obey and follow God into the Promised Land. And there a rebellion started against Moses. Korah was the ring leader and he conspired with Dathan and Abiram against Moses. The rebellion gathered momentum and soon 250 of the Israeli leaders were on their side too. They went to Moses and Aaron and said:

"You have gone too far! Everyone in Israel has been set apart by God, and He is with all of us. What right do you have to act as though you are greater than anyone else among all these people of the Lord?" Numbers 16:3

Moses must have been shocked. It was clear from the beginning that God chose Moses to lead the people and to be close to Him and receive instructions from Him. Moses never once exalted himself above the people and claimed that he was greater than anyone else. He simply did what God told him to do. His only mission in life was to obey God and nothing else. And God exalted him due to his humble attitude and due to his zest in serving the Lord.

But people became jealous. First it was Aaron and Miriam, his own family, and now it was the leaders of Israel. Poor Moses, his obedience to God led him to being a target of others' sinful desires.

Now Moses' reaction is really admirable. He didn't get personal with them and threw accusations at them. No, he took the problem to God and told all the people that God would show them all who was His chosen one. He was prepared to take a step back and let God act.

Today we can also expect accusations from people who are jealous of people who truly follow the Lord's leading in their lives. I experienced a lot of it when I resigned and followed the Lord's calling on my life. A whole number of people constantly asked me why am I not working anymore, have I become lazy or what? Or am I a lady of leisure now, too grand to work? It hurt me, but I knew the truth, I was merely following God and what He wanted me to do. I think it would have been easier to continue working than to follow the Lord's leading. And I constantly need to remind myself that at the end of the day what really matters is that one continues in your walk with God and leave the issue with Him like Moses did.

Another lesson is that even if you are walking in your calling, don't long for someone else's. Don't be jealous of the task that the Lord has given them. He knows best and He knows what will make you happy. Korah was a Levite appointed for special service at the Tabernacle and he was mentioned as one of the chief men of Israel in Exodus 6. He had an important role to play, but he wasn't satisfied with it, he wanted more. He wanted the prestige and honor that Moses received. And this jealousy cost him dearly. He lost his life and he lost the privilege of serving God.

Don't let jealousy consume you and don't long for another position. Be the best that you can be in the position God has placed you in, serve Him with all your might and He will exalt you at the right time and in the right direction that He would want you to go. Do not jump the gun, it can prove to be very costly.

Thank you Lord that each of us has a very special position to fill. Thank you that You look out for each one of us. Please forgive us that we tend to desire what You have given someone else. Help us to do the best with what You have given us; we know that that would be the best for us at the end of the day. In Jesus Name. Amen

My children in South Africa, you need to let go of the past. Let go of the pain and let go of regrets. Forgive, learn from mistakes and move on, stronger in Me. My children, also give the future to Me. It is safe in My hands. Let go of worry, anxiety and stress. I live in eternity and only I can see and influence the future. No one else can. Therefore let go of all stressful situations playing out in your head, it is harmful and can do no good. Rather stand up in every corner of the country and pray the following:

Father God we wonder how we managed to exist without the knowledge of Your parenthood and Your loving care. But now we are children begotten of the promised Seed and we are never alone, because Father God You're here beside us. You have always been and You always will be. The future is in Your mighty hands, and therefore we don't need to stress and fret over it. All we have is the here and now. Please help us to use the present moment to the best of our ability and to glorify Your Name and not to satisfy our own agendas. The now is all we have and we surrender it to You. We give our lives to You to guide us onto Your loving path and plan for our lives and for the destiny of South Africa. The past is gone and to cling on to it is like clinging onto something that is dead. Please help us to let the past go. You know that holding onto the past can hinder our spiritual progress and in turn hinder our walk with You, that is why You tell us in Your Word that we should let it go. Please help us to do just that. The past is only there to learn from, the past is there to highlight our mistakes and to help us to use a different avenue next time to the glory of Your Name. With the past gone and the future still a mystery, help us to live in the present moment where You are, the great I AM. The present moment is beautiful, fresh and new and we know that if we live without regrets and unforgiveness of the past and without anxiety of the future we can make such a big difference in this lovely land of ours.

Father we therefore pray that a wave of forgiveness will sweep through the land. We pray that we will all forget about the past, forget about the injustices done and forget about what was legislated. We pray that we will all learn the lessons You want us to learn in order for us to move on to a better place.

We pray that all anxiety, fear and negativity about the future of our precious land will evaporate and that You will teach us once again, to fully rely on You. Only in You lies the true future and in God we fully trust. We trust that You know best, we trust that You are in control, we trust in Your coming Kingdom and that we are a part of You.

We pray that a mighty sense of 'presence' fill each of us today. Help us to look around today and be lead by Your mighty Spirit to reach out where we see need, instead of being consumed by anger of the past or anxiety about the future. Free us from the demonic forces that want to keep us trapped in either. Keep us safely in the freedom of Your Spirit. Because only in Your Spirit is there true freedom to live as Your children in a dark world.

We pray that You will be the centre point in the coming elections in our land. We pray that even though Your Name would for the most part not be mentioned by the main political parties, that the flag of Your Name wave high. We exalt Your Name above all names and we proclaim You King over South Africa. We proclaim that You are Ruler over our country and we pray that Your will be done in South Africa just as it is in heaven. We declare that the powers of darkness have no control anymore, but that You and Your angels of light will take over and rule our land.

We thank you for the anointed task of praying over our country and we thank you that You are here, powerful and mighty, ready to hear our prayer.

Thank you for Your tender loving care and help us to look up to You and not at the situation at hand. You are mighty and powerful and You are in control.

And thank you that we can know that the plans that You have towards us, are plans for good and not disaster, to give us a future and a hope.

In Jesus' mighty Name

Amen

The Lord sent the Israelites back into the wilderness and there He gave them some further instructions. One of the instructions was very interesting to me. God told them to make tassels for the hem of their clothing and to attach it to the corner of the hem with a blue cord. And the reason was:

"The tassles will remind you of the commands of the Lord, and that you are to obey His commands instead of following your own desires and going your own ways, as you are prone to do. The tassles will help you remember that you must obey all My commands and be holy to your God. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt that I might be your God. I am the Lord your God!" Numbers 15:39, 40

God wanted them to have a visual reminder that they are to obey Him and not to follow their own desires. He wanted them to follow Him and to strive to be holy unto Him. God knows people and He knows how evil they can be and how easily they can fall into their old ways of doing things.

Now the Israelites did make the tassles, but they later applied it in totally the wrong way. Instead of using it to remind them of God and following His ways, they used it to show others how righteous and pious they were. Jesus reprimanded the religious leaders for doing this:

"Everything they do is for show. On their arms they wear extra wide prayers boxes with Scripture verses inside, and they wear extra long tassles on their robes. And how they love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most prominent seats in the synagogue! They enjoy the attention they get on the streets." Matthew 23:5 - 7

They flaunted their tassles and made a show of it. This was in direct contradiction of what God wanted. He wanted to give them something as a reminder that they should humbly follow Him and strive to be holy, not walk around being proud of having longer tassles than all the others! Jesus was clearly disgusted with them.

Being spiritually proud of what God has given you is an abomination in His eyes. Spiritual pride brought the fall of Satan and is one of the biggest tools Satan uses against mature Christians. God feels so strongly about it that He gave Paul a thorn in the flesh to keep him from getting proud. And today God wants us to stay humble and anchored in Him and not become proud of the spiritual things He has blessed us with.

I can imagine it must be difficult for preachers with a big following to stay humble and to realize that it is all about God and His Kingdom and not about them. I really think it is hard, especially if you are treated like a rock star as I see many of them are on television. But the same goes for us too. We should stay humble even if we receive one spiritual victory after another. We should give all the glory to God and praise Him for the gifts and spiritual reminders that He has given us.

Sit back and thank God today that you are part of His Kingdom already and that you may share His Word. It really is a privilege bestowed upon us and certainly not anything to be proud of. Jesus did all the hard work and we should praise Him for it.

Father, thank you very much that You care so much for us. Help us to stay humble and focused on You and Your majesty. We also pray for spiritual leaders Lord that You will keep them humble and safe in Your arms. Help us to focus on You and help us in our daily efforts to become holy just like Jesus was. Amen

The Israelites didn't want to enter the Promised Land, because they were scared of the giants that they have to face in the land. So instead of believing in the awesome power and might of God, they chose to listen to ten fragile men giving a bad report. God punished them for this and justifiably so.

It was only once God had punished them, that they realized their stupid mistake. Now all of a sudden the prospect of facing the 'giants' didn't look as bad.

'So they got up early the next morning and set out for the hill country of Canaan. "Let's go," they said. "We realized that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land the Lord has promised us." Numbers 14:40

Without consulting the Lord or consulting Moses, they decided that their remorse was good enough and that they will now be able to go and possess the land promised to them.

Moses couldn't believe his eyes. Here they were, once again going in the direct opposite direction that God commanded them to go. He tried to warn them:

"Why are you now disobeying the Lord's orders to return to the wilderness? It won't work. Do not go into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the Lord is not with you." Numbers 14:41, 42

And did they listen to their leader? No. They simply pushed forward and lo and behold, they were solidly defeated. They were forced to return to the wilderness, whether they wanted to or not. They quickly learned that without the Lord they are nothing.

I have certainly regretted a lot of things that I have done in my life. I sometimes shake my head as I think how stupid I have been. And the manner in which I tried to correct what I had done has also been more foolish than helpful. The best thing is to rather think carefully before we act and to ask advice from loved ones wiser than we are. They sometimes have a better perspective than we have concerning a certain issue. Think carefully when they warn you about something; pray about it and ask God's guidance and act only when you are certain that it is the right thing to do.

Remorse is always too late, but when you have done something wrong, had remorse about it and asked God and other people to forgive you, then move on and try to never repeat the same mistake again. Don't continue to beat yourself up over it, that is also not helpful. No, the next time the Israelites stood at the border of the Promised Land, about to enter, they didn't hesitate; they went forward and entered it. They didn't repeat the same mistake. And you can learn from yours too, confess your sins and move forward. That is the best way to go.

Father, we do so many wrong things. Please forgive us, we are truly sorry. And help us to move forward now and not to repeat the same mistake again. Thank you Lord. In Jesus Name. Amen