2. WHEN THE DARKNESS WILL NOT LIFT

4. Jacob failed, deceiving his own father, stealing his brother’s inheritance (Genesis 27:19). Jonah failed, running away from the call of God to reach the city of Nineveh (Jonah 1:3). Demas failed, abandoning Paul, as Demas loved the world more than the Kingdom of God (2 Timothy 4:10).

5. Jacob is restored, as the Lord shows compassion, once again, to Jacob and Israel (Isaiah 14:1). Jonah is restored, spewed up from the belly of a fish, in spite of Jonah’s stubborn disobedience (Jonah 2:10-3:1-5). Demas is restored, traveling once again in the company of Godly men, doing God’s mission (Philemon 1:24).

6. “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed [by affliction and failure] – for [God’s] compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23).

7. Challenge The Regret “Pounding” In Our Head.

8. “If-Only.”

9. “…when David and his men came to Ziklag,” I Samuel 30 records – “…[and] found it destroyed… David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep…” (1 Samuel 30:3-4).

10. And so David did just that: David abided in the Almighty, finding “…strength…” I Samuel 30:6 tells us, “…in the Lord his God…” (1 Samuel 30:6).

11. And so what’s hooking you: your “if onlys” – or – God’s “only ifs”? Get hooked by God’s “only ifs” – for “only if” you trust God – “only if” you rely on God – “only if” you abide in God – can you maneuver the missteps of life.

12. Absorb God’s Mercy, God’s Hesed, ‘Forgiving Yourself.’

13. “Who is a God like you, who… forgives… transgression… You do not stay angry…but delight [in showing] mercy…” (Micah 7:18-19).

15. hesed -- which means: undeserved kindness, unmerited forgiveness, unconditional love!

16. “Fail Forward,” Adventuring With God, In Spite of Mistakes!

17. If ever there was one who failed it was Paul who “…persecuted the church… [trying] to destroy it….” (Galatians 1:13) But “when God…called me by his grace…” Paul notes in Galatians 1-- his life was changed, accelerated, as Paul failed forward, becoming the greatest Apostle ever, preaching so boldly, he “…did not consult any man…” (Galatians 1:16) -- so consumed by the grace and freedom of God.

18. As Winston Churchill notes: “success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm” -- but not just any enthusiasm, the enthusiasm, the passion of God -- who turns: mistakes into milestones – screw ups into stepping stones – advancing us toward His melody and Kingdom dream.

20. No matter the mess and mistakes, fail forward, claiming the hesed, the assistance of God “…who [does forgive]… [trash and] transgression… [who does delight in showing]… [marvelous] mercy…” (Micah 7:18-19, adapted).

21. For because of God’s great love, “…we are not consumed [by failure] – for [God’s] compassions never fail. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) O Lord!

22. For we do have a God who delights in turning mistakes into milestones – screw ups into stepping stones – garbage into gain!!