I think one of the greatest lies we can believe is, “It’s too late!” At some point in our lives, we all feel like we’ve missed our chance or messed up an important opportunity. We can even be tempted to believe that we’ve disqualified ourselves from having a great future—that our best days are behind us.
If this is you—if you feel like you’ve missed your chance or like your opportunity to have a great life has passed you by—I want you to know something today: With God on your side, it’s never too late.
While God Himself never changes, He is a God of change—He is always doing a new thing and working behind the scenes in our lives to bring about new beginnings. Where we see failure, God sees potential for something new. The minute we stumble and come apart, God is already planning our comeback. When we mess up “Plan A,” we don’t have to worry—God has a “Plan B!”
I love Isaiah 43:19 (AMP). In this verse, God says, “Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing; Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”
Take a moment to really let those words sink in and think about this: If it really wasn’t “too late,” what are some things you would do? Would you go back to school to earn your degree? Would you reconcile with an old friend or attempt to make up for past mistakes? Would you follow your passion in life—something you’re naturally gifted at doing—and try to fulfill your goals and dreams?
Whatever it may be, God wants you to know that it’s never too late to begin again and have a great life. He is on your side and, if need be, He can even “put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.”
Determination Is a Must
One of the greatest things we can do to cooperate with God’s plan for our lives is stay determined. I’ve learned that when you feel discouraged, when others doubt or criticize you, and when your dreams seem like they’re just never going to happen, that’s when you need to keep moving forward!
I’ll never forget, many years ago, when I first started talking about the call of God on my life. Some of my friends felt that I must be mistaken, and they actually told me, “Joyce, we really don’t think you have the right kind of personality to do this kind of ministry.” It was not very encouraging!
But I knew what God had spoken to my heart, and I knew that I had a gift and a passion to teach His Word. So I kept moving forward. As a result, I lost some friends and was eventually asked to leave my church. Even some of my family members turned their backs on me.
Sure, it was difficult in the moment, but I cringe to think where I would be now if I had given up when I felt that rejection. I know I certainly wouldn’t be fulfilling God’s call on my life now—and I would be miserable because I wouldn’t be following my passion.
I can distinctly remember a particular season during those early years when the Lord continued to encourage me not to quit. There was one Scripture in particular that He kept putting in front of me, and it continues to speak to me today:
“And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint” (Gal. 6:9, AMPC).
Our enemy, Satan, wants us to quit and give up. The Bible says he is the “father of lies” (see John 8:44). He continually lies to us and tells us things like, “Who do you think you are? That’s never going to happen! Do you really believe that God spoke to you? You are going to do that?”
I believe we’re actually most tempted to quit when our breakthrough is right around the corner. But if we’ll just keep moving forward—if we’ll remain steadfast and refuse to give up—we will reach our goal and walk in God’s promises.
I’m not sure where you are today. I don’t know what disappointments or setbacks you’ve endured. But I do know this: It’s not over. God loves you, He sees you, and He has a plan to help you begin again. Because with God, it’s never too late. He’s the God of fresh starts, do-overs, new beginnings and great finishes.
According to 2 Corinthians 5:17, He is the One Who makes all things new!
