They basked in the innocence of their trust in God...and forfeited it.
They failed to audit the persuasion of the enemy.
We repeat this cycle every time we usher in regret through our words and actions, failing to audit whatever is persuading us to work against God.
Where is the strength in that?
In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul is encouraging the Corinthians to pull away from everything that defiles or distracts from a life pursuing God:
Distress that drives us to God...turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets...Isn't Paul saying that if our wrong words and actions--our deepest regrets--drive us to God and turn our hearts back to Him, we won't regret the pain we've suffered from our decisions?
That is a huge thought. How can that be?
I think back over one of my deepest, unnamed regrets. I have sought reconciliation with God many times over. These years later, I see the strength in the journey.
Somehow, in those many moments crying out to God, He held me in the power of forgiveness. It has strengthened my resolve to never go that way again.
Only God could create strength from regret.
