History or a Mystery

Posted by Dion Todd August 12th, 2017 7,296 Views 0 Comments

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me. Don't throw me from your presence, and don't take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. Uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalms 51:10 WEB

David had an affair with Bathsheba while her husband Uriah was away in the army. She became pregnant, and in order to cover it up, David had Uriah killed, and then later married Bathsheba himself. It appeared to be a noble act, David taking in a poor widow who was carrying another man's child, except that she wasn't.

A year quietly passed by, and Bathsheba had a son. Then one day, Nathan the prophet came to David and told him a parable about a rich man that had many sheep. When a visitor came to his house, instead of taking one of his own sheep to prepare for dinner, he sent for the only pet lamb that a poor man had nearby. He had raised it as his daughter and it slept in his arms. The rich man took it away, and ate it for dinner.

David burned with anger when he heard the story and said 'That man deserves to die!' Then Nathan told him: 'You are the man!' That had to hurt, to be suddenly confronted with all that he had so carefully hidden and thought that he had gotten away with, but it was the beginning of restoration.

David said that his sin was always before him. He repented deeply of what he had done, and his prayer is recorded in Psalm 51. In verse 12, David asked God to restore the joy. Joy was one of the first things that left him, the joy of serving the Lord. Nothing is hidden from God, He just gives us space to repent before it catches up. There is a span of time between writing a check and it clearing the bank, but it eventually affects the account.

When we mess up, it is best to get it over with immediately, before it festers like a sore. A simple prayer, and we can be forgiven. Stand up and say, "I am the one!" instead of waiting for God to confront us with it while we walk joyless and depressed the whole time. If you ask God, He will forgive you, and the mistake becomes history, rather than a mystery of what may later become of it.

Prayer: Heavenly Father I thank You for Your mercy. You are long suffering and understanding. I am sorry for the times that I have let You down and chosen my way, over Yours. Forgive me, restore me, and help me live my life for You from this day forward, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.

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