Hi Everyone,

I’d just picked up three granddaughters from school, and the 10 year old was quite upset. ‘What happened today?’ I asked. She began telling me how they’d had running for the sport that day and how she’d been in a race which she was winning until she fell over in the mud, she was so upset! ‘It was so embarrassing’, she cried! So, I asked her if she'd got up and kept going. ‘No! I ran into the toilets and cried. I was all dirty and I didn’t want to come out and face anyone!’ was her reply. So after doing my ‘Nonna counselling’ and giving her hugs and a prayer, I began thinking about what we do when we fall over.

"Then JESUS said, ‘Come to ME, all of you who are weary…’” (Matthew 11:28)
James 4:8 says, "Come close to GOD, and GOD will come close to you”.
VS 10 says ‘Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up in honour.” Read James 4:7-10

In 2 Samuel 12:13, it says "Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD’.”
Nathan had rebuked him over his affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. David loved the LORD but his flesh had got in the way, and he had fallen a got muddy. Read Psalm 51:1-17, here he asked for GOD's forgiveness and cleansing. 

Now let's ask ourselves, what do we do when we get it wrong? Even when we're saved and love the LORD we can make mistakes. I'm not talking about major falls only, but even just arguing with another brother or sister in church or with unforgiveness, gossiping, bending the truth a little etc.

So do we run away from GOD and hide as my granddaughter did? Adam and Eve did the same thing, (they hid from GOD) or do we run to GOD? 

1 John 1:9 says, “But if we confess our sins to Him, HE is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”

God knows anyway, but we can never really be at peace and enjoy all GOD's blessings and joy until we come to Him and admit and confess so that our peace and relationship with Him can be restored. Because when we have unforgiveness or disagreements with someone etc. it affects our relationship with GOD and saps our strength and joy.

So this week let’s examine our hearts to see if there is anything we need to make right and then go ahead and enjoy the fullness of joy in GOD's presence!

Let's perhaps start with a prayer like this - LORD, please forgive me for the times I have failed and the times I've even blamed YOU; show me if I've hidden anything in my heart that I need to confess and help me and cleanse me from any guilt and shame.

More Scriptures: Matthew 26:28, 69-75; James 5:15-16; Psalm 91:15, 103:3, 8, 10, 1 Peter 2:25, Isaiah 55:3; Ephesians 4:32; Acts 2:38, etc.

GOD bless you all and have a great week!

Love Giovanna!