Pick up the Spare

Nº 183 weekly devotions to refresh your soul by Dr. Dan Bolin - February 1, 2022

I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I want to be. I am not what I hope to be. But still, I am not what I used to be. And by the grace of God, I am what I am. - John Newton

I’m not much of a bowler, but occasionally I roll a ball toward 10 pins, hoping to knock them down. Rarely do I upset the whole arrangement with my first try. Mostly I knock a few over and leave a few taunting me. At times, my ball finishes its route in the gutter accomplishing nothing!

Fortunately, I get a second chance. I’m given another try to flatten the ones still standing. The second try never attains perfection, but it gets me to a better place. Much of life is about picking up the spare. It’s about the second chance God provides despite our failings, disappointments, and mistakes. Jesus met a woman who had committed a serious sin and been caught in the act of adultery. Jesus protects her from the crowd seeking to make this error her last. He ends His encounter telling her, “Neither do I condemn you, go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8:11b) Her misdirected life had careened into the gutter. Jesus showed her love, gave her a second chance, and moved her on a better life course. Strive for perfection but enjoy the second chances God provides. And go and sin no more.

Dan Bolin President Refueling in Flight Ministries, Inc