Jon and I were discussing King David the other day, and we both agreed we were mesmerized by his story as we read through 1st and 2nd Samuel. David is by far the greatest king Israel ever had, yet he had great failures as well. David's failures were huge. He was a betrayer, liar, adulterer, and murderer. Yet God refers to David as a man after His own heart. Why?
David had a great passion for God, but he was human, and Satan played on his weaknesses. I urge you to read Psalms to get a glimpse of the great relationship David had with God. As I read about David, I felt very scared and vulnerable. If David could so easily fall to temptation, I don't have a chance! I may not be prone to murder, but I have my own weaknesses. Sometimes I cringe at myself for saying or thinking something that would not be pleasing to God. It is a trap I fall into very easily, and Satan knows it. I can easily think of many reasons why God would give up on me, but that would be losing the most important lesson from David.
David may have sinned many times, but he believed without a shadow of doubt that God loved him and that God was forgiving. Each time we read of David failing, we read immediately after about David's confession. David was also willing to accept the consequence of his actions, whatever that meant. David never made the same mistake twice. He learned from his mistakes, and through God's forgiveness, he went on to do great things in God's name. I love what David wrote in Psalm 103:8
He is merciful and tender toward those who don't deserve it...
Let this be a lesson in not letting anything come between you and God. He is merciful and tender. Who among us would not want to reach down and hug our child if they came to us asking for forgiveness. God wants to do that! Then He forgets what we did wrong! He does not keep track of our sins. David learned from his mistakes and it strengthened his relationship with God. God used David in a powerful way, and David's faith has been admired for thousands of years.
I can only hope that in my small way, and despite my shortcomings, I will leave a small legacy on this earth of what it means to live with faith. Pastor Jim talked this past Sunday about leaving a footprint on this earth and making your life count for something. When your purpose becomes the same as God's purpose, I don't think you can help but make some type of impression on those around you.
God Bless,
Sandy
