“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” – Acts 3:19
In 1879, Thomas Edison was fast at work on a crazy contraption called a “light bulb.” Once they worked out the kinks, it took a team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison finally finished with the first light bulb, he gave it to a young errand boy who nervously carried it up the stairs for testing.
Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. But as he approached the top of the stairs, the poor young fellow dropped the bulb and it shattered. Though exhausted and at their breaking point, the entire time spent the next 24 hours putting together another bulb. When it was finally finished, Edison called the same boy into his office and handed him the precious object with the simple instructions to try again.
We’ve all dropped our share of bulbs in our relationship with Christ. You may be thinking today that the shattered bulbs at your feet are too many to count. But that’s not the message of grace.
Your Father in heaven longs to refresh your soul with the flood of His forgiveness. So if there’s sin weighing on your heart, don’t waste another minute carrying the guilt Christ died to take from you.
Confess your sin. Receive God’s forgiveness. And clothed in the power of His grace, try again!
Prayer Challenge
Ask God to help you trust in His forgiveness and embrace the power of His grace in your life.
Questions for Thought
What might be something in your life that’s weighing you down with guilt and keeping you from experiencing the times of refreshing from the Lord?
What do you think is the difference between trying again in your own strength and trying again in God’s grace?