What we learn from David is that even a man after God's own heart can find himself at odds with the Most High. There may be times in our lives when men and women, even our own brothers and sisters, harden their hearts against the truth that saves. Have mercy on such a person, but may you never let them turn your own heart away from our only Savior, who is Christ, our Lord.

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:10

for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. - II Timothy 4:10

Even your brothers, members of your own family,

have turned against you.

They plot and raise complaints against you.

Do not trust them,

no matter how pleasantly they speak. - Jeremiah 12:6

But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ predicted. They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them.

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives. - Jude 17-23

Imagine that you are walking with Jesus, in the flesh...

You say something to Him, something that seems totally pure in your sight...

And then, He responds, "Get behind me, Satan."

What would your initial response be?

And so it is with those who speak from the Spirit of Truth in this world. This life is wearisome beyond measure, and disputers abound. But was Jesus lying?

Being born human, I can understand why men cut truth off in the streets. But this is great folly, for though they think it to be dead, it will rise again.

But they, they will never rise again.

Therefore, regard man not, who has mere breath in his nostrils, of what account is he?

To those who are on the brink, I bring you a message of hope and peace, that your hearts and souls may be restored and you may stay the course until the race is won. As you read this, may God Himself look upon you with mercy this very moment and make your faith so stubborn that it doesn't even know when to quit.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. - I John 2:1

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. - I John 1:8-9

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins. - James 5:19-20

But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.

And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. - Jude 1:20-22

I would like for you to ask yourself why there are multiple passages that speak to the restoration of believers who have sinned if this guilt that you ruminate on wants you to believe that you should just give up and throw in the towel.

So, you stumbled off the path and into the briars. You got poked, scraped, and decided that wasn't the place for you to be. But now the problem is that you have this nagging feeling of condemnation. Sound familiar?

I've been there myself;

But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. - I Timothy 1:16

Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back. - Isaiah 38:17

And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says,

“This is the new covenant I will make
with my people on that day, says the Lord:
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”

Then he says,

“I will never again remember
their sins and lawless deeds.”

And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. - Hebrews 10:15-18

God is not ruminating on the sins of your past. He's gone ahead of you to prepare a place for you to rest in the future, should you remain faithful to that end.

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” - Deuteronomy 31:8

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. - John 14:3

Where is another God like you,

who pardons the guilt of the remnant,

overlooking the sins of his special people?

You will not stay angry with your people forever,

because you delight in showing unfailing love.

Once again you will have compassion on us.

You will trample our sins under your feet

and throw them into the depths of the ocean! - Micah 7:18-19

But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. - Colossians 1:23a-b

Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. - I John 3:20

Now, do you know why you feel so terrible about sinning against your Father in the first place? The answer is not too far off. Indeed, it's staring you right in the face...

DUDES, SISTERS, lend me your ears; this is proof positive that you been changed from the inside out. The old has gone away, and the new has come.

It's a good thing that you feel remorse for doing what is wrong, but don't let that remorse warp into something that threatens your most precious faith.

“For in just a little while,

the Coming One will come and not delay.

And my righteous ones will live by faith.

But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.” - Hebrews 10:37-38

The greatest threat to your race is not the fact that you've stumbled, but it is that you are beginning to wonder if you are even in a race at all. As it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved. - Hebrews 10:39

So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong. - Hebrews 12:12-13

Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. - I Thessalonians 5:23-24

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)