“I have made too many mistakes.”
“I will never be worthy enough.”
“God will never forgive me.”
“I can never ask God to bless me.”
“I have really messed up.”
“I am so underserving of forgiveness.”

Do any of these lies from the enemy resonate with you? I remember the time in my life I felt so worthless, thinking that I could never be forgiven for all the mistakes and wrongdoings that I had done. There were just too many! I had fallen short over and over again and not only had I turned my back on Jesus, I had run so fast in the opposite direction. I was sure that He could never forgive me. I was living a life riddled with guilt and such regret. I felt like my life was one big mistake. Even more so, I felt like I was the mistake. I believed that I didn’t deserve God’s help, let alone His favour. And yet, scripture tells us that

“Gods mercy is bigger than any of your mistakes.”

Lamentations 5:22-23

Do you know what that means? Every time we fall short, God says, “You are redeemed.” Every time we make a mistake. God says, “You are blessed”. Every time we feel condemned, God says, “You are a child of the most high God”. And every time we run away from God, he runs toward us. Why? Because of His mercy. Because God knows that we made wrong turns but he is always there to put us back on the right path. God takes all of our wrongs and makes them right. Not just once or twice, but every single time.

Scripture tells us that the Lord instructed Jonah to visit the city of Nineveh to bring His word to the people there. Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah fled in the opposite direction to what God had asked of him and ran until he boarded a ship. Whilst on the ship, a terrible storm came with howling winds so large that Jonah and the fellow crewmen thought that they were going to die. Jonah knew immediately that this storm had come as a result of his disobedience towards God. He told the crew that he had done wrong and explained that the storm would calm if they threw him overboard. And, without any further thought, they did! The storm calmed immediately and Jonah was then swallowed by a large whale. Jonah was inside this fish for 3 days and 3 nights. He could not see, it smelt so bad and whilst he was fortunate to be alive, scripture tells us that deceptive thoughts entered his mind.

The key thing is that instead of listening to the enemy, Jonah started to pray. Scripture tells us Jonah “cried unto the Lord in trouble and he answered me. I sank down to the depths of the ocean and yet you snatched me from the jaws of depth.” When you read Jonah’s prayer, you will notice that it is said in past tense. Jonah believed that God would not only rescue him but He would bless him. Jonah knew of God’s mercy, that he was already forgiven. That he had made a mistake, made a wrong turn, but God was there to make it right. As soon as Jonah got through praying, God spat him up on dry land and said, I want you to go to Nineveh. And so he did. You see, God gives you another chance, and another chance and another chance.

The thing is, most often people think because things are their own fault, they don’t deserve God’s help, let alone His blessing. The truth is that God’s mercy is unfailing and is always there. Like Jonah, you can try and run away, but you can never run away from His mercy. Mercy does not cover us when we only do right. Mercy covers up when we make mistakes. God’s mercy is what brings us out of trouble. You may look around and see others being blessed thinking that they must have done everything right. It isn’t like that. Those same people have made wrong turns, but just like Jonah, but God’s mercy took over. You see God does not give you what you think you deserve. God will bless you despite your mistakes because you are worthy, you are redeemed and you are restored. You are His child and He will take all your wrongs and make them right. His mercy is not based on performance. If it were, we would not be here today.

If you find yourself feeling condemned from past mistakes, know that God has you covered. Be encouraged that He has a destiny for you. Scripture tells us that God’s calling is irrevocable. This simply means that God knows your destiny from the beginning to the end. If you think that you have made too many mistakes and that God could never forgive you…you are not that powerful! God is the creator of the universe and He has ordained for you a life that is free. A life that is victorious. A life that is restored.

All you need to say, “Lord, I know I don’t deserve it but salvation comes from you. Thank you for your unfailing Mercy. Thank you for your blessings. Thank you that I am a child of the most high God, fearfully and wonderfully made. In Jesus Name, Amen!”