It's so comforting to know that God always loves me. I was reading in the second half of 2 Samuel 12 today, about the consequences of David's sin with Bathsheba. They had a child together, but because of David's sin, the LORD struck the child down and he died. Truly tragic consequences, but not entirely unexpected, considering the great distance that David had wandered away from God.
But the beautiful thing to me is what happened next. The Bible says that David fasted and wept for his son, begging God to save him, but that after the child died, he pulled himself together and worshiped God (verse 20). David had sinned terribly, he had departed farther from God's presence than he probably ever thought possible. But deep down, He still knew and respected God's sovereignty - even though it took a tragedy for him to return to a place of submission - and, better yet, God still loved him.
How often do we beat ourselves up for past sins? We let the devil convince us that we are not worth anything because of the mistakes we've made in the past, and that God could never use us again. But, beloved, God can ALWAYS use us! After David repented of his sin with Bathsheba, he had another child with her...guess who this one was? Solomon, one of the most famous kings of Israel, blessed with supernatural wisdom, and "loved by the LORD" (verse 25).
I love seeing God's grace, God's mercy, God's loving kindness in real life. We are not judged by our past. Our value is not found in our history. His mercies are "new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). We are not called to wallow in our past sins, but to worship Him for His current love and mercy. So often we see ourselves like cracked clay pots - to our estimation, we're no longer useful to God. But God is the best sealant in the world, and He is longing to make us whole again. Let Him make you whole. When tragedy strikes, run to Him and let Him comfort you. It's the only thing that will fully heal your aching heart.
But the beautiful thing to me is what happened next. The Bible says that David fasted and wept for his son, begging God to save him, but that after the child died, he pulled himself together and worshiped God (verse 20). David had sinned terribly, he had departed farther from God's presence than he probably ever thought possible. But deep down, He still knew and respected God's sovereignty - even though it took a tragedy for him to return to a place of submission - and, better yet, God still loved him.
How often do we beat ourselves up for past sins? We let the devil convince us that we are not worth anything because of the mistakes we've made in the past, and that God could never use us again. But, beloved, God can ALWAYS use us! After David repented of his sin with Bathsheba, he had another child with her...guess who this one was? Solomon, one of the most famous kings of Israel, blessed with supernatural wisdom, and "loved by the LORD" (verse 25).
I love seeing God's grace, God's mercy, God's loving kindness in real life. We are not judged by our past. Our value is not found in our history. His mercies are "new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). We are not called to wallow in our past sins, but to worship Him for His current love and mercy. So often we see ourselves like cracked clay pots - to our estimation, we're no longer useful to God. But God is the best sealant in the world, and He is longing to make us whole again. Let Him make you whole. When tragedy strikes, run to Him and let Him comfort you. It's the only thing that will fully heal your aching heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment