It Didn’t Have to End Like This
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” - Galatians 6:9
As we continue to think about Judas and his betrayal, perhaps the saddest part of the entire story is what Judas does when he comes to terms with the fact he has let Jesus down. He thought his sins had caused him to be cancelled by God. When Judas tried to return the money he had been given for betraying Jesus, the men would not accept the money back. So instead, Judas threw it down, left, and hung himself.
Judas had convinced himself that he had fallen so far from the grace of God that he was no longer in the grip of the grace of God. He thought that what he had done was so bad that God had abandoned him. What he didn’t realize is that the God we serve is a God of second chances. God did not cancel Noah for being drunk, and God did not discard Abraham for being a liar, and He did not fire David for being a murderer and adulterer.
The tragedy of the life of Judas is not that he betrayed Jesus. The tragedy is that he betrayed himself. He didn’t realize that even though he made a bad mistake, his life didn’t have end the way it did. And the same is true for you. No matter who you are and what you have done, your sins, no matter how bad they are, do not cause you to be dismissed by God. He loves us not because of us, but despite us.
Whether you have stopped coming to church, stopped praying, or stopped living your life for Christ, you do not have to lose your life because of a mistake you made. It does not have to end like this for you. God’s love is not conditional or transactional. He is not keeping a scorecard of your wrong doings. The Bible says that as far as the east is from the west, He has cast our sins away from us. Let go of your sin today, God has already forgiven you. Will you forgive you? If there is breath in your lungs, God still has a plan for you. It doesn’t have to end like this. Let God right a new chapter in your life today!
As we continue to think about Judas and his betrayal, perhaps the saddest part of the entire story is what Judas does when he comes to terms with the fact he has let Jesus down. He thought his sins had caused him to be cancelled by God. When Judas tried to return the money he had been given for betraying Jesus, the men would not accept the money back. So instead, Judas threw it down, left, and hung himself.
Judas had convinced himself that he had fallen so far from the grace of God that he was no longer in the grip of the grace of God. He thought that what he had done was so bad that God had abandoned him. What he didn’t realize is that the God we serve is a God of second chances. God did not cancel Noah for being drunk, and God did not discard Abraham for being a liar, and He did not fire David for being a murderer and adulterer.
The tragedy of the life of Judas is not that he betrayed Jesus. The tragedy is that he betrayed himself. He didn’t realize that even though he made a bad mistake, his life didn’t have end the way it did. And the same is true for you. No matter who you are and what you have done, your sins, no matter how bad they are, do not cause you to be dismissed by God. He loves us not because of us, but despite us.
Whether you have stopped coming to church, stopped praying, or stopped living your life for Christ, you do not have to lose your life because of a mistake you made. It does not have to end like this for you. God’s love is not conditional or transactional. He is not keeping a scorecard of your wrong doings. The Bible says that as far as the east is from the west, He has cast our sins away from us. Let go of your sin today, God has already forgiven you. Will you forgive you? If there is breath in your lungs, God still has a plan for you. It doesn’t have to end like this. Let God right a new chapter in your life today!
Posted in Daily Devotional
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2025
January
Plenty of RoomThankful for Your SeatWho God Invites to the TableThat’s the PointWe Do Not Have a Monopoly on GodStop Talking So LoudLet God Handle the Guest ListA Long-Awaited ReunionSeeing Jesus for YourselfIn Possession of a Personal PromiseGet in the Right PositionReady to ReceiveAligning Your Life for God's PromiseWaiting with ExpectancyGrounded in PrayerStrength in PrayerPatience Through PrayerStay Focused Through PrayerGod's Conditional PromisesGod’s PriorityGrounded in FaithTrusting God's TimingThe Assurance of God's PromisesIs It Well With Your Soul?Health vs. HealingStewarding Your BodyA Holistic View of SpiritualityGod Cares About Your BodyWhat You Put in MattersNourishing Your SoulThe Power of Prevention
February
The Power of a ComebackHealing from the PastStop Blaming and Start TrustingBury the Past to Claim the FutureFacing Trauma with TruthCelebrate That You SurvivedRepair What is BrokenNothing God Can’t FixDon’t Swing at Bad PitchesStick to God’s PlanDon’t Let Desperation Drive YouShift Your WeightWho Knows Best?A Good Idea Isn’t Always a God IdeaPeace in God’s PlanFinding Purpose in God’s PlanProsperity in God’s PlanTrusting God’s Plan, Pace, and ProcessKnowing When to PivotGod Hasn’t Given Up on YouNext-Level Faith Requires PerseveranceA New Revelation of GodIt’s Not All About YouNext-Level ConnectionsNext-Level CommitmentA Prayer That Moves GodPrayers That Carry a BurdenPray With Boldness
March
A Solid FoundationPositioned for BlessingMarked by LoveTrust God's JudgmentRest in God's DeliveranceLet Go of ControlWhat You Want MostWhy Church Still MattersFaith in the Midst of DisappointmentJoy for the JourneyA Place of SafetyStrength in CommunityPeace in the ChaosThe Purpose of the ValleySeasons ChangeUnshaken in the StormHold OnThe Power of ResilienceNever AloneGod Is Closer Than You ThinkLet Go of WorryLet Go of WorryBelieve Before You SeeResilient FaithHow to Be a Success God's WayTrue Success Starts with the SoulSuccess Through SurrenderCharacter That Speaks for ItselfThe Power of Being RealKeep GrowingSuccess in the Face of Opposition
No Comments