Return… to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. – Hosea 14:1

Finishing a race strong is not easy. Watching Olympic track events reminds you that you may dedicate your life to training, putting your whole heart into preparation with focus, yet trip up at the last minute. Heart-breaking to watch, yet not uncommon.

The characters in the Bible are recorded as the actual people they were. Many found faith and fellowship with God, but came undone by unexpected circumstances. For example, Numbers 20 records the stumble of one of God’s greatest servants. The Hebrew nation wandered in a desert wilderness seeking their homeland. They were miserable and thirsty. Moses took their complaints before God and asked what to do. God answered, “Tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them” (Numbers 20:8). Frustrated with the grumbling mob, Moses acted in anger. Instead of speaking to the rock as God directed, he hit it with his staff – twice! The Lord was gracious and still brought water for the people. But Moses received a consequence for disobeying God’s instructions. He would not be the one to complete the journey that led the people into the land of Promise.

While Olympians may not get another opportunity to run and win their race, in God’s economy failure is not final. While He does not exempt people from the consequences of their choices, He never rejects the honest cry for forgiveness. Pray today that the people of the United States will repent and return to the Lord, seeking Him once again to guide the nation by submitting to His will and His ways.