Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle. Ecclesiastes 11:6

Every morning begins a new day for us. The beginning of another day provides opportunity for new challenges. It is God's way of opening a door for us to get a fresh start, to make a new beginning, to have another chance.

In that sense each new morning symbolizes the Christian faith. Christianity could well be called "the religion of another chance." That's what it really is. No matter what we think or feel, no matter what we have done or not done, no matter what we have been or not been, always -- without exception -- God offers us His forgiveness. He wipes the slate clean so we can begin anew. There is no limit to that forgiveness, no end to those further chances. Always God is ready to say, "Try again. My grace in Christ surrounds you. I love you not because you do not fail; I love you despite your failures.

It is certainly true, as we all know, that "to err is human." We will never be perfect. It is equally true that "to forgive is divine." Because He is divine, God will never fall short in that. We live our lives, even through our mistakes, always with "another chance."

PRAYER: Thank You, Lord, for giving me another chance in Christ. Amen.

(Devotions from "The Abundant Life" copyright 1998, CPH. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be printed, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of Concordia Publishing House. Permission is granted for one-time e-mailing of this link to a friend. For information on other devotional material, please contact CPH at 800-325-3040 or visit CPH at www.cph.org.)

Today's Bible Readings: 1 Samuel 13-14    Luke 19:28-48

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