Let Us Be Going!

All four Gospels give us insight at what took place as the minutes wound down in the Garden of Gethsemane:

Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.” (Matthew 26:45, 46 NKJV)

“Rise, let us be going.” (Mark 14:42a NKJV)

Then He said to them, “Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation.” (Luke 22:46 NKJV)

“Arise, let us go from here.” (John 14:31b NKJV)

This is what Oswald Chambers says about the previous portions of Scripture concerning how the apostles missed the opportunity in the Garden of Gethsemane:

“Whenever we realize that we have not done that which we had a magnificent opportunity of doing, then we are apt to sink into despair; and Jesus Christ comes and says – ‘Sleep on now, that opportunity is lost for ever, you cannot alter it, but arise and go to the next thing.’ Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ, and go out into the irresistible future with Him.”

The Bible is consistent in its message to never look back, whether it is the Old or New Testament:

And they said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving! (Exodus 14:11, 12, 15 NLT)

So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.” But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19:17, 26 NKJV)

But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” (II Peter 2:22 NKJV)

Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. (2 Timothy 4:10a NLT)

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62 NLT)

Instead, we are to be always moving forward and upward, even running with endurance; stripping off everything that can hold us back:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV)

I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. (Philippians 3:14 NLT)

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! (1 Corinthians 9:24 NLT)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. (Hebrews 12:1, 2 NLT)

So my friend, do not allow any missed opportunities, or for that matter, anything from the past hinder you in the present or future. We worship a God who is always urging us to not only move on, but to arise and step up to higher ground!