Each of us is a “cracked pot”, scarred by our own brokenness. The good news is this: God wants to use those cracks to draw others to Him. And when we’re willing to be vulnerable enough to reveal the cracks in our lives to others, God not only uses them — He also repairs them.

We get so easily ensnared in the sins of our past that they bar us from making the most of our present and looking hopefully ahead to our future. No matter what lies behind us — whether it was done to us or done by us — God can cleanse us and move us forward in incredible ways. His Word assures us that He removes sin from us as far as the east is from the west; let’s live in the promise of that truth!

The next time you think God can’t use you because of your past mistakes, just open the Bible! Scripture is filled with examples of people who messed up time and again. But God still had a plan and purpose for their lives, and He has one for us too, if only we’re willing to listen.

When we become Christians, the devil doesn’t stop fighting for us. On the contrary, he works harder than ever to pull us back into our old sin. When we feel ourselves getting caught in the “undertow” of temptation, we’ve got to call on God to show us the way of escape. Not only that, but we also have a responsibility to help rescue others who have been pulled back out into the current, and get them safely to shore.