“All this has come upon us; yet we have not forgotten you, nor broken your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps turned from your way” (Psalm 44:17, 18).
Sticking to your commitment to God is sometimes easier than others. On some days, the wind is at our back, helping us move in the right direction, but on other days, the wind blows fiercely in our face, making us very tempted to turn back. But we cannot maintain our commitment to God only when it is easy. In fact, when staying faithful is difficult, it is especially important to stick to it. We may suffer, be persecuted, or even be harshly punished by God Himself, but no matter what happens, we must be people whose hearts do not back down.
To live means to be mobile. On any given day, we will always be “going” in one direction or another. So again, it is important to avoid going backward. We may not be making as much progress as we would like, and sometimes it may feel like we are standing still. But at least we can decide not to go backward.
Of course, we will all be Examination Turn back. There is no one among us who has not (at least secretly) thought about abandoning our faith and living like the world. Jesus may have thought about it on other occasions, but in Gethsemane, He certainly thought about turning back. In his prayer, he acknowledged the desire to turn back – but he chose to move forward. And like our Lord, we need to move toward God with a passion and determination that will not be easily denied!
When deciding whether to follow God or turn back, it is important not to let our emotions alone drive that decision. No matter how good and valuable our feelings may be (given to us by God), they are not in themselves a true test of what God wants of us. And mark it well: Our feelings are not a test of whether God is “near” us or not. At all times, God is certainly with us – supporting us and helping us to do what is right, whether it feels like it or not. And so, in darkness, doubt and difficulty, we need to hold on to our faith and simply refuse Turn back.
“In times of dryness and desolation we must be patient and wait for the return of consolation, trusting in God’s goodness. We must inspire ourselves with the thought… that we have not necessarily lost His grace because we have lost its taste and feeling” (Ignatius of Loyola).
Gary Henry – WordPoints.com AreYouaChristian.com
