DAY TWO

A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART

David is one of our favorites from the Bible. David was one of God’s favorites as well, as he was noted to be a “man after God’s own heart.” There are many great stories in the Bible about David and if we remember anything, we remember his famous fight with Goliath. David found favor in God’s eyes. He was blessed to rule over an entire kingdom, meaning he had access to much. Over the years, David had proven himself worthy of such a high appointment.

Although David was a great man, he was still human. A beautiful woman named Bathsheba would cause him to succumb to temptation. David fell into the trap of lust and committed adultery, which led him to commit murder to cover up the adultery. As the old saying goes, sin will always take you further than you want to go and keep you longer than you want to stay.

God would forgive David of his sin and restore him, but not without consequences. God would take David’s son with Bathsheba. While this was such a sad story the first time I read it, I have grown to see its beauty of it. It has become a story of forgiveness and restoration, showing God's love for us in our lowest state. While David would suffer greatly, God did spare his life and allowed him to have more children. God did not turn his back on David, he may have suffered greatly, but God was still there with him.

No matter how low or deep we find ourselves in sin, God is still there for us when we return. He is there waiting to forgive us and restore us. David is a great example of that. David shows us that God loves us through all of our mess. We may have to pay for our bad choices, but we don’t lose what is most important, our eternal relationship with God.

Take a moment to reflect on the story of David and Bathsheba. Reflect on God’s ability to treat David as his child. David is disciplined severely and God is very disappointed, but God does not love David any less and he continues to bless David as he promised.

Is there a past sin you are struggling with, give it to God and leave it there, knowing that God will forgive you. God does not want our sin hanging over our heads, tormenting and shaming us, he wants us to walk freely in forgiveness. The forgiveness Jesus so unfairly died on the cross for. Jesus died so that we could live. Pray, repent, and move forward.