Don’t Walk Away

What is our natural response to a difficult situation or circumstance? Do we run away or face it? Do we worry or trust God?

Sadly, many folks today are walking, or in some cases, running away from God. Jonah ran from God as a believer and also the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-20 rebelled and wanted to be free to live as he pleased. He demanded his inheritance, packed his bags and moved to a distant land. Like the father of the prodigal son, our heavenly Father will not force us to remain with Him. If we ignore His guidance and insist on following an ungodly path, He'll let us go our own way.
 Poor choices can result in lifelong regrets, but they don't have to dictate our future. The heavenly Father will welcome us with great joy and love when we repent and turn back to Him.

Many believers have walked away from God But He has not moved—they have.

Don’t walk away or become discouraged. God's love offers hope for us as we face disappointment and rejection here on earth. Hope doesn’t come easily and it doesn’t last long if it’s based solely on circumstances. When things are going well in our lives, hope bubbles up and lingers. But when tough times come, our sense of hope fades away and sometimes disappears. The biblical idea of hope is different. True hope doesn’t depend on whether things go our way or don’t go our way; hope that lasts for eternity is found in a relationship with Christ the Savior. No matter how the ups and downs of life go for us as believers, we have a hope that is secure.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him”. John 3:16-17

The bottom line is this: God loves all of us, regardless of our history. And there is a huge difference between conviction and condemnation. God convicts and that leads us to repentance, but the devil condemns, and that leads to a life of guilt.

We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Don't dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ.