I shared over at Proverbs 31 Ministries yesterday, and thought you might be encouraged by these words too. It’s for every woman who has ever failed…and that includes me. Let’s talk about it.
Sometimes, walking or running away from my failure is easier than facing it.
I’ve walked away from a struggling friendship rather than working through the rough patch to keep it strong.
I’ve walked away from an open door of opportunity because the closed door of a past failure still resounded in my ears.
But what opportunities we miss when we abandon something, whether it be a relationship, job or a ministry. We don’t even consider that something better is beyond our failure! And that’s where we find Moses in Exodus 2-3.
Moses was raised as an Egyptian, but one day Moses was walking among his people and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave. After glancing first one way and then another to make sure no one was looking, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
The very next day, Moses realized his actions were widely known. Pharaoh was out to kill him, and his fellow Hebrews mocked him. Moses had failed on many levels, so he bailed.
Moses fled to a place called Midian, married a woman named Zipporah and joined her family business taking care of sheep. The next time we see Moses, 40 years have passed, and his life has not gone as he expected. Born into a palace and placed in the perfect position to alleviate his people’s oppression, he blew it all with one mistake.
Oh, sister, I’ve been there. Have you?
Moses was stuck hiding in Midian, held hostage by his failures. He had settled for less than what he was made for. Less than what God had prepared him for. Less than what he had hoped for in himself.
This is where many people plant themselves and settle. They make a mistake, fall flat on their face and run away to the far side of the wilderness, hoping no one will notice, maybe hoping to forget about it themselves. Praying everyone will just leave them alone while at the same time absolutely miserable that life has morphed into a monotonous, lackluster checklist. Like Moses, many bury their hopes and dreams to protect their hearts from further disappointment.
But that’s not where God wanted Moses to stay, and that’s not where God wants you to stay, either. We all fail. We all make mistakes. Peter did. Moses did. Jacob did. Samson did. David did. But just because you failed does not mean you ARE a failure. You are a child of God … a child who makes mistakes.
At just the right time, God set a bush on fire right in front of Moses. Exodus 3:4a tells us, “When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush,‘Moses! Moses!’”
Once God had Moses’ attention, God told him it was time to get unstuck and move forward. God wasn’t finished with Moses. In the following chapters of Exodus, we see that God brought Moses back to Egypt, where he was a wanted man. God placed him right in front of Pharaoh, where God spoke through Moses and eventually freed the Hebrews — the Israelites — to put them on the path to His promised land.
So if you feel stuck, if you’ve failed and bailed to your far side of the wilderness, it’s time to get unstuck and move forward. God is calling you to let go of your failure, move forward in all He has for you to do and live boldly.
Dear God, I cringe at the times I’ve failed and bailed. But I am thankful for Your love that calls me out of the wilderness of failure and into the well-watered garden of Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Leave a comment and share one step of faith you feel God is calling you to take.
Take Hold of the Faith You Long For is one of my most favorite books I’ve ever written. It wasn’t my first book, but without the message of this book, I would have never had the courage to write one in the first place. I wonder, do you have any dreams that you’ve put on the back burner. In this book, you’ll stand with Moses at the burning bush and learn how to let go of everything that holds you back, move forward with everything God has already given you, and live bold with the confidence that is just a decision away.
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Comments 41
I fell backwards hitting my head on a tiled floor after passing out …Pride…I was “SO BUSY TRYING TO ‘BE WHAT WHO I THOUGHT’ GOD WANTED ME TO BE…THAT I LOST TOUCH WITH THE REAL ME & IN A STATE OF UTTER EXHAUSTION MY BRAIN CUT OUT FOR APPROX. 10 SECONDS…this was 10 Weeks ago & with 20 Healing Verses over me each time I feel Symptoms & a REALLY BLESSED Husband,Family & Church 🏩 be Family Praying & Supporting me – the LOVE IS GROWING & MY FAITH IS TOO 😍🙏 I NEVER WANT TO EVER NOT BE LED BY THE SPIRIT 🕊️ & ACT OUT OF LOVE AS DIRECTED BY HIM 🕊️💖 I am SO GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT I AM STILL HERE & HE SENT HIS ANGELS TO CUSHION MY FALL 😅 PRIDE COMES BEFORE A FALL & I am a Child of God & I am learning HUMILITY ( again) Blessings & Thank U Sharon ,I can Forgive Myself & move on SOON
Thank U for sharing. U remind me to stop n smell the roses. Thank u. Sometimes being busy working for the Lord does not always mean u are doing his will for your life. I learned the hard way
Thank you for sharing your message with me. It was very uplifting.
Please pray that my son won’t engage in self destructive behaviors. Please pray that my son will depend on God when seeking truth about life and the decisions he should make. Pray for our family, please. We need God to touch us in a Mightily way!
May the grace of God be released on your family in Jesua name. I pray that His light will shine on your home to expose every area of darkness so His glory may be seen clearly in your lives in Jesus name. Stay strong..He is able. Xxx
It is so difficult when our children make decisions that are destructive or engage in destructive behavior. 😞
Praying for your son. 🙏💕
Thank you God for restoration and peace
Please pray for my family ! We are going through so many struggles. My father has dementia.
I’m trying so hard to take care of him , sell his business, take care of a lake house he has , and pick up all the scattered mess he’s left behind .
I haven’t taken care of me due to the stress and worries I have done for him.
Praying for you and your family Kelly….some seasons can be really hard. 💓🙏
Love these daily’s. Thank you.
I really needed to read this today. I lost my job a year ago and now looking for my dream job. Now that my daughters are grown and flown, I am trying for my new career at age 57.
Many Blessings to you.
Just the words I needed today. Not amazing at all 🙂
Asking for prayers for my son who suffers from extreme anxiety and OCD. He is finally on a wait list to see a therapist. Prayers needed that he gets an appointment soon and that he connects with the therapist. Prayers that God protect his marriage.
Pràying for him and all of you as you go through this. I can relate!🙏🏻
God is calling me participate in a before-after school program. I am moving forward with the Lord’s help.
I needed this so badly right now in my life. After making so many mistakes managing my family’s budget, I find we may lose our home. Praying for an opportunity to right this, to be redeemed and for a course correction towards trusting in God … first!
Praying 🙏
Thank you for the reminder
Please pray for my son Jordan. I thank God that he is finding his way back to the Lord.
Lord you are worthy to be Praised! For one day I will bow before you!
Amen!🙏
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💞💞
I have been going through so much in a short period of time. I have lost quite a bit of family in the last year. Even lost my job but this article has encouraged me so much. I know that God is still able to keep me and guide. I’m still here and very much blessed. You all take care. Thank you Sharon:)
Needed to hear this. Not on the back side of the wilderness, kinda in the middle. Moving (somewhat slowly) forward and grateful for the Lord being with me every step of the way.
Hmnnn..thanks for your encouragement Sharon. This is so apt for me at this time. It’s in second guessing a bible study group because of numbers…even though I knew the Lord initiated it in the first place. Thanks for your message…Will continue to forge ahead. Blessings to you. Xx
Thank you Sharon,
This really hits home for me because I’m always running and hiding from fear of failure. I have just recently started a new venture with a small business and I have got much traffic from it thus far and it’s because of the fear of failing at it…so I really don’t try to work my business because then I don’t have to face that fear. But with your words this morning has allowed me to be hopeful that I can make it work and to remember that God has my back every step of the way! Again thank you so much for these words of wisdom you have shared with us today.
You & God are a mighty team. Keep it up.🙏🏻
God sent this message to me, thru you. I am always blessed by your messages.
Thank you.
Rebecca T.
I Love God! He always sends just what I need when I need it, whether it be through you Sharon, or Crosswalk, the verse of the day, or a song or string of songs on the radio. Today He sent His message through my email from every one of those places except I haven’t turned on my radio yet. The truth is I’ve always felt like no matter what I do I am a failure. I have felt the shame from those failures practically every day, even as a child. I am stuck in a place I don’t know how to get out of. I don’t want to be this person anymore. I’m a perfectionist to the point of berating my family when they don’t do things my way. Every day I via to be what God wants me to be, but somehow fail epically every time. I got a scripture today that said Seek me wholeheartedly, I prayed Lord maybe I don’t understand wholeheartedly because I thought that was what I was doing but I don’t know. I want so much to change, to live happy, to laugh and joke with my family, not to be confused about how, to not be so overwhelmed by everything all the time and I mean to the point of not sleeping. To top all of this off all of these things have me heavier than I’ve ever been which is not helping my health. I feel like I’m on a nightmare Ferris wheel and I spend most of the time climbing or falling. Now I’m Christian enough to know that the evil one is behind all of this bringing all of these failures to me but somehow I still can’t seem to figure out how to change. Thank you all for reading this and your prayers that I know you’re sending out. God bless each of you. God bless me, please.
I understand and you are not alone.
God is molding you day by day.
Prayers lifted for your peace and journey. He holds you in his hands and you are worthy!
Thank you so much for sharing this message. The Father has been dealing with this very thing in my life and this was confirmation of His grace and love and that I need to accept His forgiveness and move on to embrace the life He has for me.
Thank you Sharon, this message is so on the mark. Many of us Seniors who at this age think of our failures and wish we had done things differently. Especially with how we bought up my children and we can go on and on. I just want to encourage others don’t give up, God has so much for us to do and He has forgiven all our failures. He always has something for us to do.
Oh how my heart aches for you. I pray that that the deceptions that the enemy has you believing will be revealed and that God’s unfailing, undeserved Love will overpower the darkness in your life.💙
Thank you for sharing this Carolyn…sometimes all I can think of is my past mistake, especially concerning my grown children. Thank you Lord, that “Your mercy is new
every morning.😊💓
Thank you Sharon. This message is perfectly timed for how my week has been going at work. I looked at how I kept failing in front of my boss. Then I read today’s message and have a more Christ based perspective. Thank you for pointing out and reminding me that failures don’t ever change how God feels about us and he’s always there to pick us up.
I need prayers for my health, I have adrenal fatigue and extremely low energy. I’m having trouble making important decisions right now. I’ve been praying and I am not hearing.
There is great stress within the family.
Thank you for sharing this Carolyn…sometimes all I can think of is my past mistakes, especially concerning my grown children. Thank you Lord, that “Your mercy is new
every morning.😊💓
Thank you for this reminder.
Thank you for this message…I really feel drawn to be in womens ministry, but I struggle with taking the first step. I think of past failures, imperfections, and sins. I am going to pray that the Lord will show me the first step and give me courage to step out in faith. ” Our sins they are many. His mercy is more”💓🙏
To keep persevering in a new job where I am a 54 year old “junior” in the company!
I need to press on and push through my anxieties and fears.
God is with me.
I am at odds with myself much too often. God is leading me, teaching me and pouring Himself into my heart and soul. Now. He that He has penetrated my soul, my spirit belongs to Him. He has revitalized my soul. I have found peace and rest. I will move forward beyond my failures. Thank you.
Today, God used your words, as the voice I needed to hear at the well. Praise God for the mighty ways He uses each of us in the Kingdom.
I recently launched a blog so I can get my writing out to the world. I feel that God is leading me in this direction but is not allowing me to do the necessary marketing to bring people to it. My web-designer is telling me all it will take is some SEO marketing and we will have thousands of people visiting, commenting, and collaborating with me regarding my stories. She is convinced it will open doors. But I do not have peace. In my heart, I hear God saying – “I will promote you when it is time.” I am so tempted to do the marketing. But I am not going to. I am going to have faith. I am going to keep posting my stories; keep writing on my book and wait for God to promote me. It will happen in His time. Thank you Jesus.
Vivian Cumins