Mike Genung - 100 Days on the Road to Grace: A Devotional for the Sexually Broken

BLAZING GRACE PUBLISHING

PO Box 25763

Colorado Springs, CO 80936

www.roadtograce.net

100 Days on the Road to Grace;
a Devotional for the Sexually Broken

2013 by Mike Genung

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission, except for brief quotations in books and critical reviews. For information or reprint permissions, contact Blazing Grace

Publishing at the address above.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible,

Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977,

1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

www.Lockman.org

Cover design 2013 TLC Graphics, www.TLCGraphics.com

Interior design by Williams Writing, Editing & Design,
www.williamswriting.com

ISBN-13: 978-0-9787756-9-8

ISBN-10: 0-9787756-9-4

eISBN: 9780978775667

SAN: 851-6022

Printed in USA

More copies of this book can be ordered at www.roadtograce.net .

This book is written with the hope that God will speak to you.

When we come to the place where we know the Lord is intimately involved in our lives and is speaking, leading, guiding, and even convicting, the Christian life elevates from mere theology and head knowledge to an exciting adventure. 100 Days is about finding the God we were looking for in lust by setting out on the adventure of seeking, finding, and knowing Him.

Rather than consuming this book in a short period of time, I suggest that you consider taking one chapter a day for 100 days to allow the full impact of what God wants to do have its way. The Holy Spirit speaks more through His Word than through broken men such as myself, so I encourage you to have a Bible nearby and dig into the Scripture references that are provided.

Begin each reading by asking the Lord to open your heart to what He wants to say, and for the grace to follow through with any direction He provides.

May God reveal Himself to you.

Mike Genung

... for He Himself has said, I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.

Hebrews 13:5b

W here has the lie of sexual sin taken you? Is your marriage teetering on the edge of a dangerous precipice? Maybe youre in a legal predicament. One married attendee of our mens group solicited an undercover cop posing as a prostitute, adding the prospect of jail time and a big fine to the consequences of his sin. Perhaps youre suffering in isolation, struggling desperately to break free from a habit that has mercilessly ruled your life for years.

No matter what your situation, there is hope. God promises that He will never leave us; when the Creator of the Universe says never, we can bank on it.

Peter is my favorite disciple. His sin of denying Christ three times he added cursing in the last instance has to one of the biggest and most wretched failures in history. After Jesus was killed, I cant help wonder if Peter thought it was all over. He had vehemently denied the Son of God... and now Jesus was gone. Since Peter didnt have a Bible that would tell him his sins were forgiven by the blood of the cross, where would hope come from?

Peters shame must have been great; the other disciples would have known of his failure, and word would have spread through the church. Perhaps he feared they would judge him as Jobs three friends did. Then there was the spiritual battle. The devil must have been pouring it on, whispering in his ear, Its over... youve gone too far... youll never be used by God again. How could God ever forgive you for what youve done? Theres no hope, so why not end your life now? It wouldnt be hard to imagine Peter fearing an eternal destiny in hell.

Yet when all hope was lost for Peter, Jesus rose from the dead and restored him. We dont know the details of every conversation Jesus had with Peter after the resurrection, but it appears that all Peter had to do was be willing to humble himself and not give up on pursuing Jesus, regardless of his sin.

To Peters credit, he didnt isolate himself from the church. When Mary told the disciples that Jesus was alive, Peter was there. When the disciples were fishing and Jesus called to them from the shore, Peter was there. Isolation would have been a deadly mistake. Without the support and prayers of his friends, the despair, fear and shame might have overwhelmed Peter.

No matter where you are, there is hope. If Jesus restored a man for denying Him three times, He can restore you. No matter what happens, keep seeking God, stay out of isolation, and never give up. No matter what happens in the future, you have the same hope of abundant forgiveness and restoration that Peter did along with Gods promise that Hell never leave you.

I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip on me.

Psalms 101:3

T he psalmists tone in this verse is one of fierce determination that says, Im not playing games with sexual sin; I hate it, and it will not be my master. Lets look at four components of this verse.

I will set... The psalmist takes complete responsibility for what is before his eyes. He doesnt blame his wife, his circumstances, other people or his job for past failures or present temptations. Its not the internets fault for offering porn, or his TVs problem for piping sexually explicit programs into his home. Whether his sexual relationship with his wife is good or bad is irrelevant. To the extent that he is in control of his circumstances, the psalmist will be firm in his stand to do what is right. He will not compromise.

... No worthless thing before my eyes. The psalmist leaves no room for lust to capture his eyes. Anything that might cause him to sin gets thrown out, no matter the cost. Movies with sexual content are not tolerated. Porn websites are blocked. Strip clubs are avoided like the plague so are the wrong women. Its better to do without and walk free than live in bondage to shame and depravity.

I hate the work of those who fall away. Lust isnt a puppy dog, wagging its tail for a bone; its a savage wolf that steals, kills, and destroys. The psalmist hates it. He hates the ruptured families, broken lives, shame, and misery that sexual sin causes. Hes seen the misery and destruction in the lives of others whove gone too far. He knows of the tragic tales in the Bible, such as that of Samson, where the pursuit of a few moments of pleasure cost him everything. Indeed, he knows that lust could destroy his life as well.

It shall not fasten its grip on me. The Cheshire cat grins as it sets the trap: A little porn wont hurt you; its just pictures. If you take the bait, the desire for more or bigger and better sets in. Boundaries are crossed, risks are taken, until eventually, it happens. Your wife finds out. Maybe your daughter stumbles onto pictures on the computer, or youre exposed by the companys monitoring software.