The Initiative Against Despair

📖 “Rise, let us be going.” — Matthew 26:46

Resting in Christ’s Redemption, Not Past Failures

Failure often lingers in our minds, whispering that we’ve lost our chance, that it’s too late, that we’ve disappointed God beyond repair. The disciples faced this when they fell asleep in Gethsemane instead of keeping watch with Jesus. Their sorrow was real, but despair was never Christ’s will for them.

Jesus didn’t dwell on their failure. He didn’t chide them into guilt. He acknowledged what was lost and then called them forward: “Rise, let us be going.” He didn’t say, “Sit here and lament.” He didn’t invite them into endless self-examination or regret. Instead, He led them onward.

How often do we sit in the ashes of our mistakes, rehearsing them in our minds, as if our sorrow can undo the past? But the past is not ours to fix—it belongs to Christ. He took it to the cross. Our role is to trust that His redemption is sufficient and step into the next moment, the next opportunity, the next act of faith.

Imagine a traveler who stumbles on the path. He could sit in the dust, mourning his misstep, or he could rise, dust himself off, and walk forward. Despair says, “Stay down.” Grace says, “Get up and go with Me.”

Let yesterday rest in the arms of Christ. He has already woven grace into what we cannot change. What He calls us to is now—this moment of trust, this step of obedience.

Prayer of Trust

Father, we rest in the fullness of Your redemption, knowing that every failure, every missed opportunity, is covered by Your grace. You have not called us to dwell in regret but to walk forward in confidence, trusting that You are with us. We rise today, not weighed down by what was, but lifted by the certainty of what is—Your life in us, guiding each step. Thank You for Your faithfulness, for the invitation to move forward in Your strength, and for the assurance that nothing in our past can hinder what You have purposed for us. Amen.

📸 Photo credit: Unsplash
📖 Devotional credit: Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest