1 SAMUEL 12

Out of this whole chapter, there was one verse that jumped out at me. As Samuel was giving his farewell address to the Israelites, they began to lament over the new evil they had done—asking for a king. In response to their distress, "Samuel answered, 'Don’t be afraid. It’s true that you have sinned, but don’t turn away from the Lord. Serve the Lord with all your heart.'" (vs 20)

Yes, you are a sinner, but cling to God. The problem with our sin is not that it makes God run away from us, but that it makes us want to run away from God. From the experience of Adam and Eve, we can see that sin immediately produced fear and guilt—causing them to feel uncomfortable in God’s presence; thus, they hid in order to avoid Him. That’s why the prevailing message of Scripture is Do Not Be Afraid. Samuel even said it in the verse I quoted. If God can deal with our fear and convince us to stay in His presence, He can and will dissolve our sin.

Mark these words: Nothing is stronger than the power of God’s presence. We may be clinging tenaciously to sin with one hand, but if we will also cling tenaciously to God with our other hand, the power of His presence will drive our sin away. There is no other choice. Sin cannot exist in God’s presence. If we are determined to stick with Him no matter what, our sin will ultimately have to yield to Him.

So, heed the words of Samuel today. Even though you have sinned and even though you may continue to sin, cling stubbornly to God. Do not be afraid. Refuse to let Him go, and He will dissolve your sin.