Article by C.L. Glasscock

Do you ever ask, “Can God use me even when I’ve failed?”  How can God turn failure into victory?  Do you ever feel like a failure?  Have you ever thought, “I know God loves me, but why would he waste His time on me again?”
As we look at the eleventh chapter of Second Samuel we see King David sending Joab and his servants to war but David stayed behind.  That night he walked out on his roof and saw Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, washing herself and she was very beautiful to look upon.  David sent messengers and took her and she came in unto him and he lay with her and she became with child. Then David sent for Uriah to come home and tried to get him to go down to his wife and he would not.  Because he refused, David sent him back to war and commanded Joab to put him in the hottest battle.  When this happened Uriah was killed.  After Uriah was killed, David took Bathsheba to be his wife.
As we look at what happened in a very short period of time, King David had committed adultery, committed murder, and was living a lie.  He tried to cover up his sin but God knew about his sin the moment it entered his mind.
Always remember: David was a man after God’s own heart.  But the devil was at work; he led him into this sinful act. It makes us realize how we have to stay “prayed up” to keep us from falling into a similar trap.  Praise the Lord, David knew what to do.  He fell on the mercy of God in repentance. The Fifty-first Psalm is the greatest prayer of repentance you will ever read…
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.  Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:  that thou mightiest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.  Make me hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou has broken may rejoice.  Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
There is no failure too great for God.  He can forgive you and use you – even after failure.  David’s story is not over… After his forgiveness, King David began a renewed relationship with Bathsheba  who bore for him the next King of Israel, King Solomon.  What a success!
What God Desires to Do for You
The greatest evidence of God’s power to change our failure into success is the salvation He offers.  Jesus did not have to come and die to cover his own faults – but He came and died for our failures.
Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.” (John 3:16-17)  Because of Jesus, we can avoid the worst of all failure, separation from God – forever.  And because of Christ, we can endure even the worst of failures now because of the strength He puts within us and the hope He sets before us.
The first step in coping realistically with the problem of failure is to recognize its roots in the universal problem of sin.  Jesus suffered on the cross for you to free you from the penalty of sin.  Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Confess your sin.  Put your trust in Jesus.  Receive His free gift of forgiveness.  Only in Him will you find a lasting solution to the problem of failure in your life and in the world.  Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  In verse 10 of that same chapter, God says, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
You can stop right now and sincerely pray something like this:  Lord Jesus, I believe that You are God, that You died for my sin, and that You rose again from the dead.  I know that I am a sinner, and I ask You now to be my personal Savior.  I’m placing my full trust in You alone, and I now accept Your gift of eternal life.  Thank You for keeping Your promise! Amen.
If you have trusted Christ as a result of this article, we would love to know about your decision and give you a Bible and some other materials to help you learn more about this new relationship!  Give us a call at 477-8600 and let us know today!