SNAFU!

Have you ever made a "snafu"? A "snafu" is defined as "a mishap or mistake generally caused by incompetence and resulting in delay or confusion. [source, Encarta ® World English Dictionary © &(P) 1998-2005 Microsoft Corporation] It is also an acronym ("SNAFU") standing for "situation normal, all fouled up". Have we become accustomed to snafus being a "normal" part of life? Perhaps as long as there are people (since we are all imperfect) there will be mishaps and mistakes. Many times things in life do get all fouled up. I recently came across a clipping that reported the United States Pentagon at some point had dropped the favorite World War II acronym "SNAFU" for "FUBB" which meant "fouled up beyond belief"! Perhaps we would agree we have seen or experienced that in this world as well. It seems that if anything can be messed up, someone is bound to do it and do it well!

We may also recognize SNAFUs and FUBBs in a spiritual sense. Lives can get messed up and "fouled up beyond belief." However, when that life is turned over to God, He can still straighten it out. HE CAN FIX the mess. HE CAN MEND the heart. HE CAN RESTORE the spirit AND HEAL the soul.

Remember when David committed his sin with Bathsheba and set things up so that her husband Uriah was killed on the front lines during battle. ( 2 Samuel 11) Yes, he messed up big time! He had "fouled up beyond belief" and there were consequences suffered for his sin. Still, God was able to bring renewal to David's life. In Psalm 51 we find David's words of repentance and his longing for restoration.

In an earlier psalm David described the personal impact of sin and the blessing of forgiveness where we read. . .

"(1) Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. (3) For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. (4) For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. (5) I ACKNOWLEDGED my sin to you, and I DID NOT COVER my iniquity; I said, 'I WILL CONFESS my transgressions to the LORD,' AND YOU FORGAVE THE INIQUITY OF MY SIN." ( Psalm 32:1-5 ESV)

God knows what is wrong in our life. He knows the range of our life mess ups, even when we have messed up unbelievably more than we ever thought we could or would. However, let us NOT LOSE HOPE. Let us, like David, turn back to God with a TRUE PENITENT HEART and allow Him to bring the healing and restoration we need. Remember the same power that can say "Take up your bed and walk" also declares, "Your sins are forgiven." ( Mark 2:9-11) Though the world may say, "You made your bed, now lay in it", we do not have to be doomed to remain there. The One Who created us CAN RENEW us AND TRANSFORM us to become what He desires us to be. May we keep a SUBMISSIVE HEART turned toward Him.

Have a great day PRAISING GOD FOR HIS POWER AND WILLINGNESS TO RESTORE!
Carl

See other teEn-MAIL on Forgiveness