Have you ever noticed that some people don’t forget your past? No matter how many progressive strides you make, they always remember “when you used to …” When Jesus had performed enough miracles to confirm His identity, the people said, “Can any good come out of Nazareth?” or “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” And Jesus hadn’t made any mistakes. Just imagine what the future will be like for Tiger Woods, Marion Jones, Mark McGwire, and others who have fallen from grace. If Pete Rose still hasn’t been inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he gambled years ago, then surely someone will maintain an archive of Woods’, Jones’ and McGwire’s past errors.
I normally focus on David while reading the excerpt included above, but this morning, God shifted me to the reactions of his advisers. David had acknowledged his sin, asked for God’s forgiveness, and pleaded for God’s mercy on the child’s behalf. God heard, forgave, but said no to David’s request about the child. Immediately after learning about the child’s death, David arose and worshiped God. Notice the advisers’ response, “We don’t understand you.” In other words, they were shocked by David’s ability to resume life. They literally wanted him to “stay down,” given the terrible situation he was enduring.
In spite of their response, David moved forward. And that’s what we have to do – move forward, one step at a time. The freedom God provides is true freedom (see John 8:36), so we have every reason to move forward, in spite of the naysayers. I think the words of the song “Moving Forward” say it best: “I’m not going back, I’m moving ahead. I’m hear to declare to you my past is over. In You, all things are made new. Surrendered my life to Christ, I’m moving, moving forward.”