Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

In the beautiful city of Clarkston, a young man named Lamar—a once-promising youth pastor, had fallen from grace after a scandal rocked his church and tarnished his reputation.

Lamar had served diligently for years in his church and was a promising preacher, teacher of God’s word, and a leader whom the youth loved as their Youth Pastor.  Despite being trained to guard against inappropriate relationships in his life and budding ministry, he was falling for a senior student who was a part of his youth group. Mistaking this girl’s kindness for affection, he attempted to kiss her after a Sunday evening service when no one was around. She was caught off guard, reported it, and suddenly Lamar was caught in a scandal.

Racked by guilt and shame, he quickly and ashamedly apologized, but the embarrassment was overwhelming, and he quickly left his job and would talk with no one about it. He turned his back on his faith, convinced that he was unworthy of God’s love and forgiveness.

Years passed, and Jamar found himself drifting aimlessly and clueless about what he should do with his life. In time, he began numbing his pain with alcohol and meaningless relationships. But no matter how hard he tried to escape his past, the haunting memory of his colossal failure continued to torment him.

One rainy evening, as Lamar stumbled out of a bar and began to walk home, he noticed the soft glow of a church sign on a church he’d visited in his past. He pulled on the large wooden church door to see if it was open. To his surprise, it was, and out of a mixture of curiosity and desperation, he pulled open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.

The sanctuary was empty, save for a lone figure kneeling at the altar. As Lamar slowly approached, he recognized the familiar face of an old friend—the pastor of the church, John.

“Lamar,” John said, his voice filled with warmth and compassion, “it’s been a long time. What brings you here tonight?”

Tears welled up in Lamar’s eyes as he collapsed into a pew, his heart heavy with regret. “I don’t know, John,” he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. “I’ve made so many mistakes. I’m not worthy of God’s love. I’m not worthy of anything.”

John listened patiently as Lamar poured out his heart, his own eyes brimming with empathy. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn Bible, flipping through its pages until he found the verses in Exodus 32 and read them to Lamar.

“Lamar,” John said, his voice steady, “When Moses went up to the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from God and left Aaron in charge for the first time, do you know what happened? Aaron makes the Israelites a golden idol. When Moses comes down from the mountain and confronts Aaron, how does he respond? He blames the people for being sinful instead of taking responsibility for what happened. That was the most colossal failure ever, early on in Aaron’s walk of leadership with God’s people. God was upset, and Moses was upset, but they both forgave, and Aaron went on to serve God as His high priest. God saw something in him and knew what a great high priest Aaron would become.”

Larmar listened intently as John recounted the story of Aaron, his heart stirring with a newfound sense of hope. Could it be possible, he wondered, that God still had a plan for him despite his past mistakes?

But just as Lamar began to dare to hope, a familiar voice echoed in his mind—the voice of doubt and condemnation. “You’re a fraud, Lamar,” it whispered, “a failure. God could never use someone like you.”

Desperate for answers, Lamar turned to John once more as John said, “And what about Moses?” he asked. Moses felt unworthy, knowing he once murdered an Egyptian while trying to do the right thing. Moses voiced his feelings of inadequacy to God, saying, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?’ Even Moses, the great leader of Israel, felt unworthy.” Do you know what God said to Moses? He said, ‘I will be with you.’ And He says the same thing to you today. You may feel unworthy, but in God’s eyes, you are  chosen and beloved.”

With each word spoken, a glimmer of hope began to flicker in Lamar’s heart—a hope that perhaps, despite his past mistakes, God still had a purpose for his life.

Lamar finally did what he knew he had to do. He returned to church!

One Sunday morning, as Michael sat in the back row of the church, a familiar verse flashed across the screen—a verse that seemed to leap off the page and settle deep within his soul.

“For I am the least of the apostles,” it read, “and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).

Tears streamed down Lamar’s face as he realized the truth of those words. He may have been broken and imperfect, but in the hands of the Master Potter, he was being molded and shaped into something beautiful—a vessel of grace and redemption. And that morning, once again, he surrendered his life to the God who loved him unconditionally. Lamar knew that his journey was far from over. But with each step he took, he walked boldly into the future, confident in the knowledge that God’s mercy was greater than any mistake he had ever made.

May you today know in the depth of your heart that God deeply loves you and has always had a plan for your life that reveals itself little by little over time as you yield your heart and life unto Him! ~ Pastor Tim 

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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