2 Samuel 12-14

David really messed up with Bathsheba, and God is not happy with David in 2 Samuel 12-14.  We realize that a man we know as one of the greatest men in the Old Testament is not perfect.  He's human, and he has to face some hard consequences for his actions.  Does that make him any less great?  I think the answer lies in David's response to his sin.

Meanwhile, we see David's sin escalate within his own family.  Bathsheba's baby dies, and David's older sons, Amnon and Absalom, get into a tragic feud after Amnon mistreats and rapes Tamar.  It's a biblical soap opera for sure!

Yesterday, we dissected David's sin in hopes of gaining some insights for our own sin-filled lives.  

Today, as I read more, one message jumped out at me again and again.  The heart of it is in this passage,

14 Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.

2 Samuel 14:14

We turn away from God through our own choices.  But even in light of our biggest mistakes, like David, God loves us beyond our understanding, AND he actively pursues a right relationship with us no matter how bad things become.  That is such good news!

We can see God "devising" ways to bring David back to his faith.  God often uses people to deliver His "message" and will for our lives.  Nathan the prophet and Joab, his right hand man, both do that for David in the reading today.  

God also uses our circumstances to bring us closer to Him.  Sometimes God has to stop us in our tracks and give us a wake-up call to get us on our knees and tuned in to His Spirit that is within us.

How about you?  Has God ever used Your circumstances and/or a person in your life to get your attention?

And back to the original question...Does David's sin make him any less great?

It depends on who you ask, I'm sure.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, the real answer is God always loves us and forgives us.  Christ died for us because God knew the human beings we all are.  And when we believe in Him, when we turn to Him in repentance, we are already forgiven and saved.  We aren't defined by our mistakes, but by God's perfect love and purpose for our lives.  

Regardless of how the world views our mistakes, each of us is made perfect in Christ. 

As we keep reading, we'll see how God continues to work in David, through his imperfections.  It's God's redeeming grace at it's best!

A prayer for today-

Dear God,

I thank You for Your unconditional love, mercy, and grace.  I thank You for always finding a way to bring me closer and closer to You.  I am so thankful for the blessings and the circumstances that You use to strengthen my faith.  

Help me to be a messenger of Your redeeming love in the world, through my words and deeds. 

In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen

Love of Christ,

*This post is part of A Mind-Maker-Upper's Everyday Reading Project.  Click here to read more.