Coincidence or for a Purpose?Sýnishorn

David

David had seen God accomplish things in his life that many of us have probably envied. He saw God give him the strength as a shepherd boy to defeat both a lion and a bear attacking his flock. He’d seen God take that same courage to defeat Goliath, the Philistine giant of whom the entire army of Israel had been afraid. He had even seen God take him from being the forgotten son of Jesse to the kingship of Israel. 

Yet what once might have sounded like a “godly ever after” story proves itself as another real-life tale of a sin-natured heart. In 2 Samuel 11, David sins against God when he failed to protect and guard against the lust of his eyes. That lust for Bathsheba quickly led to adultery, an unwanted pregnancy, and a murderous plan to cover up his sin. The Bible tells us that even though David would end up with his initial desire his heart was not satisfied until he eventually repented and sought forgiveness from the hand of God. 

If we’re not careful we can just write this off as another coincidental story of someone being in the wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time with consequences that fate must sort out. The best advice any of us might give David at this point is simply to move on with his life. Instead, David would soon find that God was still the same God from the victorious days of his youth. When David repented and sought forgiveness from God, that God was able to bring purpose even from his most sinful choices. 

Out of all the writers available for God to choose from He chose David to warn others about the need to guard one’s eyes from the lust that can so easily tempt us into sin. Psalm 101:3 is not a verse of hypocrisy from David, it is a token of God’s grace. A reminder that everything given to God can have a purpose. David found that purpose in allowing the consequences he suffered to be a warning for his own future and for those who would come after him like you and like me. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: David made the choice to give in to temptation and suffered the consequences. But He also sought God’s forgiveness and God used him for a purpose. Will you allow that to be true in your life as well?