Move On

"All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." - John 6:37 

"As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust." - Psalm 103:12-14 

Sometimes believers royally mess up their lives through one fault or another, and in shame, confusion, and bewilderment they wonder if God has any mercy left for them. They approach God rather the way that a student might approach a teacher who is difficult and doesn't particularly like them, shying away from the Word and praying without confidence (like slipping a note under that teacher's door and running off rather than risking confrontation). Their walk becomes one of drudgery, overshadowed by a continual sense of condemnation and futility.

The following from 1 Samuel 12 should serve to encourage anyone who is in this condition. Don't let your failures discourage you to the point where you run away from God. He will never despise a heart that seeks Him. He's far more forgiving than we are, and He already knew the worst about you when He invited you to come and follow Him. So take heart, brothers and sisters. If you fall, no matter how much you may despise yourself, pick yourself up, go back to the Lord, take hold of the hem of his garment, and follow in His steps. :

"Samuel said to the people, 'Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. You must not turn aside, for then you would go after futile things which can not profit or deliver, because they are futile. For the Lord will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the Lord has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you...'" - 1 Samuel 12:20-24