Recovering From Failure

Proverbs 24:16 (NKJV) For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.

It’s entirely possible to go through seasons of mistakes and failures. We don’t like them. We don’t want them. But they happen. They hurt. Sometimes we think we’ll never recover.

Vance Havner, a man used greatly and powerfully by God, looks back at a time in his life where failure entered in when he writes: “I started preaching again, but without any guidelines or precedent for my kind of ministry. I made many mistakes, went up blind alleys and dead-end streets. I took a rule pastorate in North Carolina. I became somewhat enamored of the liberal approach which was beginning to gain favor. It did not become malignant in my case, but I did have enough of the virus in my system to preach popular sermons that convicted nobody. The unbelievers liked my preaching and I had a good crowd, but many of them died unsaved under my ministry." - Vance HavnerJourney from Jugtown

He recovered from those early years to preach the gospel purely, passionately, and powerfully in the Spirit. You, too, can recover from failure, my friend. Put your hope in Jesus!

By Grace,
Pastor Ed

Response
Hi Pastor Ed, I just wanted to tell you first of all, thank you for teaching the Bible book by book. It really is important in this day and age to know the Bible and I have been learning so much from your teachings. Second of all, thank you for the great message over the weekend. I am turning 35 this year and for some reason it has been difficult for me to come to this birthday. I think it is because my life is not what I had expected it to be. Most people my age have families. I am married, but my husband and I have fur babies. It is not that we can't, it is just that at 28 I started taking care of my mom who has dementia. In October of last year, I moved my 61 year old mother into a nursing home. Definitely not what I expected to be doing at 34. The message this weekend spoke to me about how nothing is wasted by God. I do not always understand this journey I am on with my mom. But today, when I went to the nursing home, I looked at it differently. I feel that a lot of the residents there are dropped off by their family and don't get many visitors. So, now...I look at my visits to my mom's nursing home as a way to not only love on my mom, but love on others that might not have family to visit them. I know that God will use my experience with my mom's dementia for His Glory and He is maybe using me to love on some people whose family have forgotten about them. So, thank you again for the message. It was awesome!