It's Never Too Late

Scripture:
"and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus." Mark 15:43

Observation:
He was there. The scriptures say that Joseph was not just a member of the council that decided to crucify Christ, he was a prominent member. Luke, in his gospel, notes that he was not in favor of their plan. There is no way to know what was said and how the meeting went, but we know enough to know that to some level Joseph held back his true beliefs about Jesus.

That had to haunt him. As the events leading up to the death of Christ played out, the torment in Joseph's mind had to grow. I can only imagine the questions that would have been playing over in his mind. The second guesses. The doubts. The shame. He must have agonized over the end result of the body to which he played such a prominent role.

Joseph found himself in a tough place. An opportunity had passed. A man was dead. His entire life now teetered on the edge. The decisions he would make in this moment stood to shape the balance of his life. What would he do? Go back to the council and repress his feelings? Cast his lot for a man that had already been killed? Neither option carried any promise.

The wording of this verse says it all to me when it notes that "he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate."

Application:
Life gets complicated. Seemingly insignificant decisions start a chain reaction of events that starts me down a path that can ultimately carry me to a place I never imagined I would find myself in.

This story of Joseph reminds me that it is never too late to do the right thing. There comes a day when I have to push aside my fear, guilt, and shame; pull myself up by my bootstraps; and then make things right.

Prayer:
I am so very grateful that it is never to late for me to make the right choice. Your word promises that Your mercies are new each day. I also know that through Christ, my sins are already covered. Still, I often find myself sitting in a puddle of mess of my own doing, searching for the strength to carry on.

You have taught me a lot in these moments. Looking back, every turning point in my life came as a result of me, like Joseph, gathering up my courage and following after what You put on my heart to do.

All my mistakes have been taken away and I live with no regrets. There are many things I am not proud of and if given a second chance I would do things differently, but I rest in Your Grace and as a result live free of my past.

That said, I hate learning that way. It is painful and destructive. I ask that You speak clearly to me and remind me that it is always better to find my courage before it is scattered by my bad choices. Following You is easier when my first answer is yes.