Could-a Would-a Should-a

“Agrippa said to Festus,

 “This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.””

Acts 26:32

When the words above were spoken by Agrippa to Festus, Paul had already defended himself several times.  He had been beaten, imprisoned and questioned time and again for the testimony he carried.

Sometimes in life we make choices, decisions or statements we later regret.

If we could take them back we surely would!

I can’t help but wonder if Paul, upon learning of this statement from Agrippa to Fetus, had those thoughts of regret.

You know the kind – the could-a, would-a, should-a thoughts – they have a way of making you second guess what you said or did.

Perhaps he was resolute in his appeal to Caesar or perhaps he had doubts.

Either way, his course had been set and now he would have to trust God as it played out.

In this story from Paul’s life we can learn a lesson for ours.

Who hasn’t said or done something they later regretted?

Unable to undo what we have done we can learn from Paul and carry on with life.

Go forward with the understanding that God can redeem even our most regrettable missteps and use them in a way that brings honor to His Name.

That is a miracle because sometimes we dig a hole so deep we wonder what possible good could ever come from it.

But God...

Paul would go to Rome.

On his way and while in prison there, he would continue to honor the King he loved and served in spite of his circumstances.

God loves us even when we say or do something we later regret.

Don’t allow regrets to keep you from serving the Lord.

He won’t allow them to keep Him from loving you!