Learning From Your Mistakes

I once stayed in a motel that had a very high star rating in the book published by the motel chain. After I checked in, I realized I had made a huge mistake. The place was on a bad side of town and was filthy. The room had an odor and a bug crawled on the floor. Dirty towels were piled up hallway, which no one picked up for hours.

After my trip I decided to write a nice letter the national hotel office and told them I had always stayed in their motels because we trusted their star system. I requested they lower their rating in their guide to a one-star on this particular motel to honestly reflect its quality so other customers would know what to expect.

A few weeks later I received a letter from the national office thanking me for my comments and offered me a free night’s lodging—in the same motel! Did they read my letter? Were they trying to reward me or punish me?

Some people keep repeating the same mistakes because they haven’t learned from them. Proverbs 26:11 says, “Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.” Even though the dog got sick by whatever it ate, it goes back and recycles it. It’s even worse than the original meal that made it sick!

We’ve all made mistakes, but our worst mistakes can be our best teachers if we will learn from them. Don’t keep beating yourself up over the mistakes you’ve made, but learn from them. You can share your bad experiences with others to keep them from making the same mistake—like “don’t stay at that filthy motel.” www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

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NOTE: I’ve been sporadic lately about sending out these devotionals because I’ve been busy writing a new book If God Knows My Needs, Why Should I Pray? It will be published by Hendrickson Publishers in May 2016.

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NEW BIBLE STUDY: “Why did the apostle Paul turn people over to Satan?”

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net 

Nathanael Under the Fig Tree

There’s a huge wall around the heavenly city where the foundation stones are inscribed with the names of the twelve apostles (Rev. 21:14). When those apostles decided to follow Christ, they had no idea that their names would be recorded on the walls of the heavenly city for all eternity!

Nathanael sat under a fig tree one day, perhaps asking God if he would ever see the Messiah during his lifetime. “Lord, will I ever live to see the Messiah so I can follow Him? Lord, can you see me under this fig tree?” Sometime later, Philip comes to him and says, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth. Come and see.” (John 1:45-46).

As soon as Jesus saw Nathanael, He said, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” They had never met, but Jesus knew everything in his heart. Like a computer program scanning for viruses, He scanned Nathanael’s heart and couldn’t find any deceit. Jesus told Nathanael, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you” (1:48). Even though Jesus wasn’t anywhere near the fig tree, He could see him and knew what he was thinking.

Jesus told him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these.” He not only knew Nathanael’s past, but also his future. Nathanael would be a disciple of Jesus and would see Him perform many miracles. And after Nathanael died, he had to be pleasantly surprised when he arrived in heaven and saw his name inscribed on a foundation stone.

Have you ever wondered if God knows what’s going on in your life? Just as Jesus saw Nathanael under the fig tree, He sees where you are right now. You may be sitting in a chair in your living room, but He sees what you are going through. When you trust Jesus to save you, your name won’t be chiseled on a foundation stone in heaven, but it will be recorded in the Book of Life (Luke 10:20), and that’s why Jesus said you need to rejoice. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net 

Listen to Song of the Month: Rebecca St. James “Shine Your Glory Down”

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net 

The Modern-Day Pharisee Test

The Pharisees were more concerned with performing religious rituals than connecting with God. We can easily get sidetracked and become modern-day Pharisees. The questions below will examine your motives and will reveal if your relationship with God goes beyond the four walls of a church.

1. Do you view a church building as “God’s house”?

2. Do you believe that Church is something you go to?

3. Do you "go to church" so that the pastor will see you in attendance?

4. Do you give your offerings without ever thinking about the Lord receiving them?

5. Do you give your offerings mainly because you feel pressured by the pastor to tithe?

6. Do you read your Bible because you want others to know you are doing it?

7. Do you serve in your church or elsewhere because you want others to respect you?

8. Do you look down on people who don’t attend church?

9. Do you ever sing to God in worship when you’re not in church?

10. Do you pray more when you are away from church or when you’re in church?

11. Do you ever tell God that you love Him?

12. Are you the same person away from church as you are when you’re in church?

Ask God to show you the correct answers and if something needs to change in your life. “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).

 www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

Slaying Your Giants is filled with interesting stories, humor, and practical advice about how to conquer 20 giants (fear, depression, discontentment, self-image, anger, and more)

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net 

The Legalism of the Pharisees

The Pharisees were the false religious teachers who constantly opposed Jesus. There were 613 commands in the Old Testament but the Pharisees created over 1,500 additional “fence laws” for the people to obey. They believed the best way to keep people from breaking God’s Law was to build a protective barrier around that Law, even though the Lord never told them to do this. The people of Jesus’ day were burdened down by man-made legalistic rules that God never commanded.

Exodus 20:10 says not to work on the Sabbath day, so the Pharisees created 39 types of prohibited work so no one would break the Law. Here are some of their fence laws:
***You could not spit on the Sabbath because it would disturb the dirt and you would be guilty of plowing.

***You could not swat a fly on the Sabbath because you would be guilty of hunting.

***A woman could not look at her reflection because she might see a gray hair and pluck it out, which would be doing work.

They created loopholes to get around some laws.

***If your house was burning down on a Sabbath, you could not carry clothes out of it. However, you were allowed to put on several layers of clothes as the house was burning down. You could leave without breaking the law because you were wearing them instead of carrying them.

***You could not travel more than 3/5 mile from your house on the Sabbath. However, you could leave food 3/5 mile from your home on the night before, which would make it permissible to travel twice the distance without breaking the law.

Your relationship with God should be a joy, not a job. If you aren’t enjoying your relationship with Him, something is wrong. Maybe you’re trying to follow man-made legalistic rules instead of loving the Lord. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, and the second greatest is to love your neighbor as yourself. “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

To get your priorities corrected, you might need to unchain yourself from legalistic rules. You might need to change churches. You might need to re-examine what you believe and make sure it lines up with the Scriptures. Life is too short to get it wrong. Do whatever it takes to set yourself free from legalism. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com   www.makinglifecount.net

To read more about the strange customs of the Pharisees: Who were the Pharisees?

Slaying Your Giants is filled with interesting stories, humor, and practical advice about how to conquer 20 giants (fear, depression, discontentment, self-image, anger, and more)

The Sure Cure for Worry contains amazing true stories and helps the reader see God is in control.

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net 

God Has a Purpose for Your Pit

Joseph was thrown into a pit in the wilderness by his jealous brothers. They planned to kill him, but his brother Reuben suggested they throw him into a nearby pit instead (Gen. 37:18-22). It was no accident that the pit just happened to be at that spot. Someone came at an earlier time and dug the hole, and then abandoned it—never realizing that God had guided him to do that. The Lord knew that a pit needed to be at that exact spot, which would one day save Joseph’s life. It was an ordained pit. Notice three things:

1. The pit gave them another option so that Joseph wouldn’t be killed. His brothers intended to kill him (Plan A) but the pit gave them another way to get rid of him without shedding blood (Plan B). Rueben told his brothers, “Shed no blood. Throw him into this pit…but do not lay hands on him”—that he might rescue him out of their hands, to restore him to his father (37:22).

2. God made sure the pit was dry. “Now the pit was empty without any water in it” (37:24). Normally these pits collected rainwater, but this one didn’t. If water had been in it, Joseph would have drowned. God made sure the conditions were right for Joseph to live.

3. The pit was used as a holding tank until the Midianite traders came by, bought him as a slave and escorted him to Egypt (37:25-28). It was no accident that the traders just happened to travel by that route at just the right time. God was leading them (without them knowing it) so they would take Joseph to the ordained destination. The Lord orchestrated a divine appointment to exalt him to be a ruler in Egypt.

Sooner or later, someone is going to throw you into a pit. When it happens, keep in mind that the Lord has a purpose for your pit, just like He had a purpose for Joseph’s pit. Even though it’s not the best of circumstances, it’s keeping something worse from happening to you. Your enemy might think that he has won by rejecting you, but God always has the last word in your situation. He is using your pit as a temporary situation to get you to a much better place. And He will, if you will keep trusting God, keep your heart right and not get bitter at the one who threw you in the pit. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net

Do you have questions about the Bible? Read 66 Answers to Bible Questions

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net 

From Fame to Shame

In the 84th Boston Marathon in 1980, Rosie Ruiz (pictured) was the first woman to cross the finish line. As she climbed to the winner's podium to accept her wreath, officials noticed that she looked remarkably fresh and sweat-free for having run two hours and 32 minutes.

Upon investigation, no one could remember seeing her during the race. Monitors at the race checkpoints hadn't seen her, nor had any of the runners. Finally, a few members of the crowd came forward to reveal that they had seen her jump into the race during the final half mile and sprint to the finish line. Rosie was disqualified, stripped of her title, and became another member of the Hall of Shame.

Before we condemn Rosie for cheating, let me ask if you have ever cheated on a test? What about cheating at golf? Cheated on your taxes? Cheated on your spouse? Kept the extra change the cashier gave you? Probably so. We have no right to cast stones. We’re all members of the Hall of Shame. We've all done things we're ashamed of. "There is none righteous, not even one." (Romans 3:10).

The good news is God can forgive cheaters. "If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee." (Psalm 30:3-4) If you need forgiveness, call out to Jesus with a sincere heart. He will wipe the record clean and give you a new start—so you can finish running the race of life as a winner. www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  

Find answers to many questions about the Bible at www.makinglifecount.net

In the Line of Fire

A couple of men were in the wilderness when they found out someone had set a fire that was out of control. The winds whipped the flames toward them and they knew they could not outrun the fire. It looked like there was no way to escape and they would surely die.

One of the men prayed for wisdom. Then he pulled out a match and set the grass in front of him on fire. 

The other man said, “You fool! Now we’re surrounded by fire!”

The man said, “We won’t die. Wait until this fire burns down and then step over here on the burned-down place.”

“I still don’t understand what you are doing.”

“The burned-down grass is a safe place for us,” he explained. “You see, the fire cannot come where the fire has already been.”

The fire of God’s judgment fell on Jesus when He died for your sins on the cross. If you want to be safe from God’s judgment, you must stand where the fire has already fallen—for the fire cannot come where the fire has already been. Jesus has already paid for your sins, and when you receive Him as Lord, you will be safe on the Day of Judgment. The fire cannot touch those who stand with Him.

www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  www.makinglifecount.net  

Making Life Count Ministries

P.O. Box 680174

Prattville, Alabama 36068-0174

www.makinglifecount.net