June 2
2 Samuel 12-13
Psalm 68:15-18
Proverbs 15:1-2
Acts 2:1-13
Repentance
“David responded to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’” 2 Samuel 12:13 HCSB
Yesterday we read about David’s sin with Bathsheba, his cover-up and murder of her husband. It would be easy to conclude that this was the end for David and that God could no longer use someone who did the things David did. Thankfully, our God never gives up on us, He never turns His back on us, and He always gives us another chance. No matter what we have done or how far we have fallen, He is always waiting with open arms to welcome us back. This passage provides several lessons for us regarding restoration after we have sinned. First, it is important to recognize that God does not let His children get away with sin. It seems that there are a lot of evil people out there who sin on a regular basis and don’t get caught. They lie, cheat, steal and treat others horribly and get away with it. And then we see Christians who do the same things and they always seem to get caught. I don’t think it is a coincidence and I don’t think they just aren’t as smart, so they get caught. I believe that God brings their sin to light. God loves us too much to let us sin and not experience consequences. He knows that sin is bad for us. His laws are intended to protect us and keep us safe, and they help us stay in right relationship with other people. If we violate those laws, some area of our life is going to suffer. In His mercy and love, God does what He must to reveal our sin so that we can repent and experience restoration. He won’t let us get too far off the path before He brings us back.
There have been times in my children’s lives when they have disobeyed us, and we punished them. On a few occasions they were with other children at the time who did the same thing, did not get caught, and got away with it. I remember having a conversation with Hannah about that one time. She was frustrated that she was being punished and they weren’t. I explained to her that we are responsible for her and not for those other children. As her parents, we have an obligation to raise her in a way that pleases God and to help her become the person He wants her to be. I don’t have that obligation to other people’s children, and I don’t have the right to punish them. God has that same parental relationship with us. He is responsible for us, and He does whatever is necessary to ensure that we become the person He has planned for us to be. As His children we submit to His Lordship in our lives and sometimes that involves correction and punishment. While He certainly has the right to punish anyone, He does not have the responsibility to nonbelievers that He has to His children. They have not submitted their lives to Him, so they do not have His loving protection.
David’s reaction to Nathan’s rebuke is also a powerful lesson for us. He did not become defensive and make excuses. He did not become indignant because he was the king so how dare anyone talk to him that way. He also did not deny his sin and keep lying to cover it up. Instead, he humbly admitted he had sinned and asked for forgiveness. Without repentance there cannot be a restoration in the relationship. Unconfessed sin is a barrier between us and God and complete fellowship cannot be restored until the sin is dealt with and removed. It is helpful to regularly ask God to reveal to us any sin that we need to deal with and when He makes us aware of it, it is best to immediately admit it, repent and ask for forgiveness. It is also important to recognize that even after we repent and our sin is forgiven, there may be consequences we have to face. A restoration of our relationship does not mean that we don’t have to experience punishment. Sometimes God punishes us when we disobey Him, and sometimes He allows us to experience the natural consequences of our actions. Thankfully, He lovingly stays by our side as we deal with whatever happens and He gives us the strength and wisdom to face it. Like David, we are in the hands of a loving, Heavenly Father who is always working for our best interest.
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