FAILURE IS NOT FINAL - II

.
We can never know when the simplest of well-chosen words of encouragement can change another person’s life. Such words were spoken a few years ago in a sermon by Neale T Pryor.

Neale, though sadly now burdened by Alzheimer’s, was then an intriguing blend of a wise, gentle grandpa mixed with the eye-twinkling mischief of a kid. He held the confident aura derived from a lifelong devotion to God, fused with the warmth of a treasured friend. Listening to him was akin to an afternoon of sitting on the porch with my soft-spoken grandpa, sharing old family stories. When God, through Neale, spoke a message of confident hope in the promised glories of Heaven, the simple phrase, “failure is not final”, became a rich assurance of God’s grace.

The phrase, “failure is not final” was a balm to my broken spirit. The words were the first impression, the first hope I would find solid ground beneath my feet, launching my next steps towards higher ground. While today the view is bright, it is worthwhile to return to Neale’s message. There will be failures, and if in those failures the cold vacuum of depression draws the light from me again, I must remember that in Christ, failure truly is not final.

Remembering the scriptural call to remain faithful unto the end, if in the time of failure it is also the time God calls me home, shall I fear the judgment? If I have been faithful to the end, there will be no fear, for “the message of the empty tomb is, failure is not final.”

While King David was often troubled by his failures, he purposed to build the temple for God. But, it was not within God’s plan for David to build the temple. Similarly, as I have purposed to do good for God, if I fail, I will hear the same words God spoke to David. “You did well that you had it in your heart” (I Kings. 8:18).

That scripture is a precious assurance of my redemption by the grace of God. It should be an assurance to every Christian. As we press on in Christ, we should not be anxious even in failure, for it is well that we purposed in our hearts to do good. The judgment of our lives will not be in the number of our steps, or of how many steps were successful. Rather, His Righteous Judgment will assess the direction of our journeys and the intention of our hearts.

Certainly, as we press on to higher ground will be setbacks. Yet, in the setbacks, hope through the all-sufficiency of Christ must not be abandoned. Daily, we must trust the assurance, “failure is not final!”
.