LEARNING  THE  LESSON  WELL!

I think common sense would tell us we have not learnt a lesson well until we put what we have learned into practice. Theories and thoughts are not sufficient; there must be some action. Scripture has many examples of godly men and women who, though falling from grace, learnt their lessons well.

Peter, though denying Jesus three times before His crucifixion, learnt his lesson well and rose to become a mighty man of God, boldly speaking forth the Word of the Lord to countless thousands of people.  Never again would he deny his wonderful Lord.  He had the joy of knowing that his past was buried through God’s loving forgiveness.

When King David made the unthinkable mistake of committing adultery, which then led to wilfully having a man killed, he confessed his sin and repented his way back to receiving God’s forgiveness.  Psalm 51 records the heartfelt agony that David felt because of his transgression. 

“Have mercy on me . . . wash me . . . cleanse me . . . purge me . . . blot out all my iniquities . . . create in me a clean heart . . . restore me . . . renew me on the inside . . . cast me not away from Your presence, O Lord . . .”

٭  David was restored because he called upon the Lord.

٭  David was restored because he repented with all his heart.

٭  David was restored because God’s mercy enabled him to learn his lesson well.

Are we learning well from the lessons of life?

٭  WE DO NOT PURPOSELY PLAN TO FAIL BUT WE OFTEN FAIL TO PLAN.

٭  It has been said, PLAN YOUR WORK AND WORK YOUR PLAN.

If David had planned his work that shameful day and been out on the battlefield with his army instead of loitering around at home, looking over his neighbour’s fence, he would not have been “working his own plan,” plotting to pamper to his lustful flesh.  If he had kept with the plan of God on his life, he would not have finished up with blood on his hands, leading to a further death, that of his and Bathsheba’s son (2 Samuel, chapters 11 & 12).

We cannot preach to others without first practicing what we preach.  Even Paul understood the dangers of preaching without first leading by example and living a clean life . . . “But I buffet my body, and lead it captive, lest, after having preached to others, I should be myself rejected” (a castaway) (1 Corinthians 9:27 – Darby Bible).

We cannot go wrong if we put the words of Jesus into practice.

His words lead to eternal life (John 3:16).

His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:105).

Jesus is THE WORD (John 1:1 & 14) so we need to follow Him.

“His ways are higher than our ways” (Isaiah 55:8-9), and that tells me that His intervention, provision and answers to prayer in my life will be of a far greater quality than anything I can ever produce in the natural.

“His thoughts are not my thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9), and that tells me that my interpretation and slant on things is so limited in comparison to how God thinks. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).

May we always be humble and teachable, learning the lessons of life well through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

~ Joan Emery