Recently I've been filled with guilt and shame. I've been lacking devotion in my walk with Christ. I rarely dig deep into God's word and my prayer life has been much weaker than it was previously. I know I'm a saved Christian and it is God's will for me to be a light but I felt so unworthy to do this. However, we have sinful natures and God is willing to forgive us IF we come before Him and truly confess them. Then, we must also cut ourselves some slack, quit having self-pity, and get on with what God NEEDS us to do.
Last night, I was filled with guilt and unworthiness. I was in need of forgiveness, and I'd prayed for forgiveness, and while God had let it go, I hadn't. I was still dwelling on my mistakes. I was longing for God's presence and closeness I'd once felt. But it was relationship firmly built on many days of meditating on God's word and constant prayer. It's like having a best friend you're really close to and they move away. When you come in contact with them again it feels rusty. God is ALWAYS there for you. He never leaves you, but when you stray from a devoted walk, you're going to feel distanced from His presence.
Last night, I opened my bible to Psalm 51. It's David's plea for mercy, forgiveness, and cleansing after he committed adultery with Bathsheba. If you are need of redemption this is a passage to read!
David comes with a sincere heart and lays out all his sins before God.
Verses 10-12 read- "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of the salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." It was so refreshing to know David felt the same way I did. I was begging God to just allow me to feel his closeness and longing to feel that joy I once had from God's salvation.
The point of this post is you can never fall so far that God won't forgive you. David committed adultery and murder and he was still described as man after God's own heart. If you are feeling far from God I encourage you to read Psalm 51 and use David's sincere plea as an example for your own walk with Christ. Being a Christian doesn't mean you're never going to fall short, it means we should take responsibility when we fall short. Don't hide in shame and guilt and continue to distance yourself from God. Ask for forgiveness. Lay it all out before God and when He forgives you, forgive yourself as well, so you can have His free spirit and be renewed and restored with the joy you once had. He still may not feel as close but draw near to him, indulge in prayer and in the bible, and He will make Himself known. Don't allow Satan to guilt you into avoiding time with God. God is ready to forgive you!
David comes with a sincere heart and lays out all his sins before God.
Verses 10-12 read- "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of the salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit." It was so refreshing to know David felt the same way I did. I was begging God to just allow me to feel his closeness and longing to feel that joy I once had from God's salvation.
The point of this post is you can never fall so far that God won't forgive you. David committed adultery and murder and he was still described as man after God's own heart. If you are feeling far from God I encourage you to read Psalm 51 and use David's sincere plea as an example for your own walk with Christ. Being a Christian doesn't mean you're never going to fall short, it means we should take responsibility when we fall short. Don't hide in shame and guilt and continue to distance yourself from God. Ask for forgiveness. Lay it all out before God and when He forgives you, forgive yourself as well, so you can have His free spirit and be renewed and restored with the joy you once had. He still may not feel as close but draw near to him, indulge in prayer and in the bible, and He will make Himself known. Don't allow Satan to guilt you into avoiding time with God. God is ready to forgive you!
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