When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me. Micah 7:8, 9.
Conscience was uttering bitter and humiliating truths to David. While his faithful subjects wondered at his sudden reverse of fortune, it was no mystery to the king. He had often had forebodings of an hour like this. He had wondered that God had so long borne with his sins, and had delayed the merited retribution. And now in his hurried and sorrowful flight, his feet bare, his royal robes changed for sackcloth, the lamentations of his followers awaking the echoes of the hills, he thought of his loved capital—of the place which had been the scene of his sin—and as he remembered the goodness and long-suffering of God, he was not altogether without hope….
Many a wrongdoer has excused his own sin by pointing to David’s fall, but how few there are who manifest David’s penitence and humility. How few would bear reproof and retribution with the patience and fortitude that he manifested. He had confessed his sin, and for years had sought to do his duty as a faithful servant of God; he had labored for the upbuilding of his kingdom, and under his rule it had attained to strength and prosperity never reached before. He had gathered rich stores of material for the building of the house of God, and now was all the labor of his life to be swept away? Must the results of years of consecrated toil, the work of genius and devotion and statesmanship, pass into the hands of his reckless and traitorous son, who regarded not the honor of God nor the prosperity of Israel? How natural it would have seemed for David to murmur against God in this great affliction!
But he saw in his own sin the cause of his trouble…. And the Lord did not forsake David. This chapter in his experience, when, under cruelest wrong and insult, he shows himself to be humble, unselfish, generous, and submissive, is one of the noblest in his whole experience. Never was the ruler of Israel more truly great in the sight of heaven than at this hour of his deepest outward humiliation.
Conflict and Courage p. 182
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Prayer Requests
—–Please keep my daughter in your prayers , as she may be given an opportunity to reach a career goal; that will help her mental state …which she has been struggling for quite some time . Michelle
—–Please pray for Lou who broke her arm yesterday. Rose
—–Can everyone please pray for my father-in-law he’s in the hospital with pneumonia. Sarah
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Dear Friends,
When Esther Marie was five years old and had long, beautiful reddish-brown hair. It was so pretty. She did not like it, however, and wanted it cut short.
One Sunday morning, while Ron and I were still in bed, she talked her brother into being her barber. When we woke up, what a sight met our eyes! Ronnie Jay did not have the skill to cut hair and knew it. He cut off just a tiny bit. Esther was not happy with him so she grabbed the scissors and made quite a mess of things. As she looked into the mirror, she was very sorry that she had wanted a haircut. I evened it up as best I could, and she had to learn to live with her decision. It was not a lasting problem, thankfully. Hair grows, and within months, her hair was back to normal.
Sometimes the decisions we make in life are not so easily rectified. Sometimes in a moment of weakness we make a decision that changes the course of our life. Pilate had heard of Jesus. He had opportunity to accept Him when Jesus talked with him during His trial. God even sent a dream to Pilate’s wife to help him to make the right decision. The governor wavered. He knew that the Jews had delivered Jesus up to be crucified because they were jealous of Him. He knew they were afraid of losing their influence over the people. Pilate had the power to let Jesus go, but he wavered. The people saw this indecision and acted upon it. “And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar’s friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat.” John 19:12,13 For worldly honor, Pilate allowed the King of Glory to be taken and crucified. To keep his job he compromised his convictions. He knew Jesus was innocent. He knew that he should not condemn Him to death, but he did it to please the people. In that moment of compromise, he lost a far greater position than just an earthly one. He lost a place in Heaven for a few years of worldly honor. But, he did not keep his job long. History tells us that soon after, he was stripped of his position and eventually died a broken man.
May we firmly decide for Christ no matter how much we are ridiculed or shunned. May we stand for the right to please our dear Saviour. May we determine to serve Him first and last and always is my prayer.
Rose