By Ruth Ann Replogle, Staff Writer
Do you have regrets? I know I do.
There are certain instances within the last five years I wish I would have handled differently.
For me, the reason I regret those times is because looking back I know I acted out on my own will and conveniently forgot to seek the Lord’s guidance.
If only I had ... had the wisdom to consult Him first ... held off acting before thinking ... been patient.
That’s the problem with dwelling on the past. I always figure I could have reacted in another way and then I get down and depressed about it.
And that’s exactly where Satan would like me to stay.
Satan deceives us into believing we know what’s best and we can do it on our own. He appeals to our egos, our pride, our self-preservation. It is so easy to fall into that trap.
But dear brother and sister, we don’t have to remain there in his pit, bound up in regrets.
The Lord promises to rescue His children, those who find Him as their refuge and cry out to Him.
Rejoice with me in that! We are not doomed, without hope. Sure we’ll make mistakes, but our God delights in us. We can be redeemed despite Satan’s attempts to drag us down.
Take a minute and soak in this passage of Psalm 18:
“The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. In my distress, I called to the Lord ... He heard my voice. ... He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”
Just hold on — for the Lord is faithful.
Replogle is a freelance writer and a News & Eagle editor. E-mail her at ruthannr@enid news.com.
