NOVEMBER 17 – Reading 321

by Albert Rosado | November 17

“LETTING GO OF REGRETS”
(Mathew 27:1-30; Mark 15:1-20; Luke 22:66-23:25; John 18:28-19:16a)

“So Judas threw the silver into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.” – Matthew 27:5

Regret is a heavy, sick feeling we get when we know we’ve done something wrong. It’s that deep sadness when we wish we could take back a bad word, a sinful action, or a big mistake. We all carry these hurts.

The Bible tells us about Judas Iscariot. He made the terrible mistake of selling Jesus for money. After he did it, he felt so much regret that he couldn’t stand the guilt. He gave the money back, but his pain was too much. He didn’t ask Jesus for forgiveness, instead, he chose to end his life. His life shows us the danger of carrying heavy regret all by ourselves.

Think about Peter, too. He also made a huge mistake when he said three times that he didn’t even know Jesus (Matthew 26:69-75). Peter felt awful. He “wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). But Peter did not run away and give up. He stayed. Later, Jesus met with Peter and brought him back, giving him a new job to do (John 21:15-19).

What made the difference? When both men made a “mistake”, Judas ran away from God in his sadness and regret. Peter felt regret, but he ran back to Jesus.

The best news in the world is that Jesus removes all sin and shame when we repent before him. When we repent for our sins and turn to Jesus, He washes away the dirt of our sin. He takes the heavy feeling of shame away because He already paid the price for the sin on the cross. You don’t have to carry your sin and regret anymore. Don’t let regret lead you to despair like Judas; let it lead you to the loving arms of Jesus like Peter.

Simple Truth:
When we repent from our sins and ask Jesus, He takes away our sin and the heavy feeling of shame.

Reflections:

• When you sin, do you try to hide it, or do you quickly ask Jesus for forgiveness and help?

   

• What sin are you still feeling ashamed about today?

Application:

• Tell Jesus about the sin you keep worrying about. Repent before Jesus.

   

• Believe that Jesus died to forgive that sin, and the shame is gone.

   

• Walk away from the past failure. Live in the freedom Jesus gives you!

   

Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me even when I make bad mistakes. I repent from my (add your own sin and struggles here) and I give them to You now. Please take away the heavy shame I carry. Help me to believe that I am forgiven because of what You did on the cross. Let me be like Peter, coming back to You for a fresh start. Amen.