Wanderman in the Wilderness

God's word applied in the world.

Running the Wrong Way?

That happened! One writer dubbed it the “Stupidest Football Play In History.” If you have no idea what I am talking about, Andre Parker, a player at Kent State picked up the football after it hit one of Towson’s players on the punt receiving team. He then proceeded to run 58 yards in the wrong direction! The play was full of mistakes: the young man ran the football the wrong way, the opposing players tackled him instead of letting him score 2 points for them, and the officials should have called the play dead!

In the end, it was like one giant “do-over.” Did you ever want one of those…you know, the kind we had as kids? I am sure Andre Parker wishes he could erase the whole thing, but in a world of video, YouTube, cell phones, and instant information, this video was sent in a Tweet almost instantly to the whole world. The things that people do today, especially their mistakes, are instantly displayed for all to see. I am embarrassed to say, I once shot at the wrong goal in a basketball game! I had just come in off the bench a few minutes after we changed directions, I wasn’t paying attention, and I grabbed a rebound and put it right back up. Ugh…my coach yanked me from the floor and put me back on the bench; it took a long time for people to forget. I am just thankful there was no such thing as a cell phone camera, YouTube, Twitter, or an internet back then! It is almost impossible for people to forget these embarrassing videos these days.

Is it possible to get a real do-over in life? Thankfully, when we are forgiven, we are forgiven. God doesn’t say to us…”you always _____” or “remember how bad you messed up last time you tried that!” Thankfully, God’s word tells us in Psalm 103:12 that our sins will be as far from us as East is from West. David was relieved to hear the words of Nathan that his sin had been forgiven (2 Samuel 12:13). Our sins are remembered no more by God (Isaiah 43:25); even though they were scarlet, they are white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). There won’t be any YouTube videos of our mess-ups playing in heaven; rather, God forgives us completely!

So…what kind of people ought we to be? Perhaps more forgiving? Perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to make fun? Perhaps we shouldn’t hold things against others? Perhaps we should forgive completely as God does?

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