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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2019 16:22:06 GMT -5
All for Nothing By Mike Wittmer
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Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death. Proverbs 7:27
Today's Scripture & Insight: Proverbs 7:10–27 Heroin addiction is poignantly tragic. Users build tolerance, so larger hits are required for the same high. Soon the dosage they seek is more than enough to kill them. When addicts hear someone has died from an exceptionally strong batch, their first thought may not be fear but “Where can I get that?”
C. S. Lewis warned of this downward spiral in Screwtape Letters, his imaginative look at a demon’s explanation of the art of temptation. Start with some pleasure—if possible one of God’s good pleasures—and offer it in a way God has forbidden. Once the person bites, give less of it while enticing him to want more. Provide “an ever increasing craving for an ever diminishing pleasure,” until finally we “get the man’s soul and give him nothing in return.”
Proverbs 7 illustrates this devastating cycle with the temptation of sexual sin. Sex is God’s good gift, but when we seek its enjoyment outside of marriage we’re “like an ox going to the slaughter” (v. 22). People stronger than us have destroyed themselves by pursuing highs that are harmful, so “pay attention” and “do not let your heart turn to [wrongful] ways” (vv. 24–25). Sin can be alluring and addicting, but it always ends in death (v. 27). By avoiding—in God’s strength—the temptation to sin, we can find true joy and fulfillment in Him.
Reflect & Pray When and where do you face temptations? How can you seek God’s wisdom and help in turning from them?
Holy Spirit, I know that I am powerless in myself to resist temptation. I need You. Help me. For more on overcoming addiction, see When We Just Can't Stop at discoveryseries.org/cb961.
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PG4Him
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Post by PG4Him on Jul 29, 2019 18:08:09 GMT -5
You had me at CS Lewis
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Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2019 16:00:39 GMT -5
Ready for Restoration By Arthur Jackson
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Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Psalm 85:6
Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 85 While stationed in Germany in the army I purchased a brand-new 1969 Volkswagen Beetle. The car was a beauty! The dark green exterior complemented the brown leatherette interior. But as the years took their toll, stuff began to happen, including an accident that ruined the running board and destroyed one of the doors. With more imagination, I could have thought, “My classic car was a perfect candidate for restoration!” And with more money, I could have pulled it off. But that didn’t happen.
Thankfully the God of perfect vision and unlimited resources doesn’t give up so easily on battered and broken people. Psalm 85 describes people who were perfect candidates for restoration and the God who is able to restore. The setting is likely after the Israelites had returned from seventy years of exile (their punishment for rebellion against God). Looking back, they were able to see His favor—including His forgiveness (vv. 1–3). They were motivated to ask God for His help (vv. 4–7) and to expect good things from Him (vv. 8–13).
Who among us doesn’t occasionally feel battered, bruised, broken? And sometimes it’s because of something we’ve done to ourselves. But because the Lord is the God of restoration and forgiveness, those who humbly come to Him are never without hope. With open arms He welcomes those who turn to Him; and those who do, find safety in His arms.
Reflect & Pray Are there signs in your life that restoration is in order? What’s your response to the God of restoration?
Lord, help me not to ignore the signs that restoration is needed in my life.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2019 17:03:39 GMT -5
Who We Are By Peter Chin
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This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name. Acts 9:15
Today's Scripture & Insight: Acts 9:13–16 I’ll never forget the time I took my future wife to meet my family. With a twinkle in their eyes, my two elder siblings asked her, “What exactly do you see in this guy?” She smiled and assured them that by God’s grace I had grown to be the man she loved.
I loved that clever reply because it also reflects how, in Christ, the Lord sees more than our past. In Acts 9, He directed Ananias to heal Saul, a known persecutor of the church whom God had blinded. Ananias was incredulous at receiving this mission, stating that Saul had been rounding up believers in Jesus for persecution and even execution. God told Ananias not to focus on who Saul had been but on who he had become: an evangelist who would bring the good news to all the known world, including to the gentiles (those who weren’t Jews) and to kings (v. 15). Ananias saw Saul the Pharisee and persecutor, but God saw Paul the apostle and evangelist.
We can sometimes view ourselves only as we have been—with all of our failures and shortcomings. But God sees us as new creations, not who we were but who we are in Jesus and who we’re becoming through the power of the Holy Spirit. O God, teach us to view ourselves and others in this way!
Reflect & Pray How can you begin to better view yourself and others in light of who you are in Christ today? How does it encourage you to know God isn’t through growing and refining you?
Heavenly Father, help me to find my full identity in You. Allow me to humbly see others through Your eyes of grace!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2019 16:41:35 GMT -5
The Bulldog and the Sprinkler By Adam Holz
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I pray that you . . . may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17, 19
Today's Scripture & Insight: Ephesians 3:14–21 Most summer mornings, a delightful drama plays out in the park behind our house. It involves a sprinkler. And a bulldog. About 6:30 or so, the sprinklers come on. Shortly thereafter, Fifi the bulldog (our family’s name for her) arrives.
Fifi’s owner lets her off her leash. The bulldog sprints with all her might to the nearest sprinkler, attacking the stream of water as it douses her face. If Fifi could eat the sprinkler, I think she would. It’s a portrait of utter exuberance, of Fifi’s seemingly infinite desire to be drenched by the liquid she can never get enough of.
There are no bulldogs in the Bible, or sprinklers. Yet, in a way, Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 reminds me of Fifi. There, Paul prays that the Ephesian believers might be filled with God’s love and “have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” He prayed that we might be “filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (vv. 18–19).
Still today, we’re invited to experience a God whose infinite love exceeds anything we can comprehend, that we too might be drenched, saturated, and utterly satisfied by His goodness. We’re free to plunge with abandon, relish, and delight into a relationship with the One who alone can fill our hearts and lives with love, meaning, and purpose.
Reflect & Pray How does the experience of plunging into waves at a beach symbolize the immensity of God’s love for you? What barriers do you think potentially keep you from experiencing His love?
God, thank You for Your infinite and satisfying love. Please help us to know and experience the love You have for each one of us.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2019 16:21:13 GMT -5
From Trash to Treasure By Patricia Raybon
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We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Today's Scripture & Insight: 2 Corinthians 4:5–7 The trash man’s house sits atop a steep street in a poor Bogota neighborhood. Not one thing about it looks special. Yet the unassuming abode in Colombia’s capital is home to a free library of 25,000 books—discarded literature that Jose Alberto Gutierrez collected to share with poor children in his community.
Local kids crowd into the house during weekend “library hours.” Prowling through every room, each packed with books, the children recognize the humble home as more than Señor Jose’s house—it’s a priceless treasury.
The same is true for every follower of Christ. We’re made of humble clay—marred by cracks and easily broken. But we’re entrusted by God as a home for His empowering Spirit, who enables us to carry the good news of Christ into a hurting, broken world. It’s a big job for ordinary, fragile people.
“We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us” (2 Corinthians 4:7), the apostle Paul told his congregation in the ancient city of Corinth. They were a cross section of people from across this region, so many might have been tempted to “go around preaching about [them]selves,” Paul said (v. 5 nlt).
Instead, Paul said, tell others about the priceless One living inside of us. It’s Him and His all-surpassing power that turns our ordinary lives into a priceless treasury.
Reflect & Pray What does it mean to you that you have a treasure, the Holy Spirit, inside you? How is it comforting to know that He enables us to share the good news?
Jesus, fill up my ordinary life with the power of Your Spirit.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2019 17:26:12 GMT -5
For Love or Money By Bill Crowder
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Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions. Luke 12:15
Today's Scripture & Insight: Luke 19:1–10 Irish poet Oscar Wilde said, “When I was young I thought that money was the most important thing in life; now that I am old I know that it is.” His comment was made tongue-in-cheek; he lived only to age forty-six, so he never truly was “old.” Wilde fully understood that life is not about money.
Money is temporary; it comes and it goes. So life must be about more than money and what it can buy. Jesus challenged the people of His generation—rich and poor alike—to a recalibrated value system. In Luke 12:15, Jesus said, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” In our culture, where there’s an abiding focus on more and newer and better, there’s something to be said both for contentment and for perspective about how we view money and possessions.
Upon meeting Jesus, a rich young ruler went away sad because he had many possessions he didn’t want to give up (see Luke 18:18–25), but Zacchaeus the tax collector gave away much of what he’d spent his life acquiring (Luke 19:8). The difference is embracing the heart of Christ. In His grace, we can find a healthy perspective on the things we possess—so they don’t become the things that have us.
Reflect & Pray What can’t you live without? Why? Is it something that lasts forever, or just for a moment?
Father, give me Your wisdom that I might keep the things of life in the right perspective—and have a value system that reflects eternity.
Listen to “God and Money” at discovertheword.org/series/god-and-money/.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 4, 2019 16:41:10 GMT -5
Ask the Man Who Owns One By Kirsten Holmberg
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Let me tell you what [God] has done for me. Psalm 66:16
Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 66:1, 8–20 In the early 1900s, the Packard Motor Car Company generated a slogan to entice buyers. “Ask the man who owns one” became a powerful tagline, one that contributed to the company’s reputation as manufacturing the dominant luxury vehicle in that era. What Packard seemed to understand is that personal testimony is compelling to the hearer: a friend’s satisfaction with a product is a powerful endorsement.
Sharing with others our personal experiences of God’s goodness to us also makes an impact. God invites us to declare our gratitude and joy not only to Him but also to those around us (Psalm 66:1). The psalmist eagerly shared in his song the forgiveness God granted him when he turned from his sins (vv. 18–20).
God has done amazing works in the course of history, such as parting the waters of the Red Sea (v. 6). He also does amazing work in each of our personal lives: giving us hope in the midst of suffering, giving us the Holy Spirit to understand His Word, and providing for our daily needs. When we share with others our personal experiences of God’s work in our lives, we’re giving something of much greater value than an endorsement of a particular purchase—we’re acknowledging God’s goodness and encouraging one another along the journey of life.
Reflect & Pray Who can you tell about God’s work in your life? What story can you share?
God, help me declare the many wonderful ways You’ve worked in my life!
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Post by John on Aug 4, 2019 18:16:45 GMT -5
Ask the Man Who Owns One By Kirsten Holmberg
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Let me tell you what [God] has done for me. Psalm 66:16
Today's Scripture & Insight: Psalm 66:1, 8–20 In the early 1900s, the Packard Motor Car Company generated a slogan to entice buyers. “Ask the man who owns one” became a powerful tagline, one that contributed to the company’s reputation as manufacturing the dominant luxury vehicle in that era. What Packard seemed to understand is that personal testimony is compelling to the hearer: a friend’s satisfaction with a product is a powerful endorsement.
Sharing with others our personal experiences of God’s goodness to us also makes an impact. God invites us to declare our gratitude and joy not only to Him but also to those around us (Psalm 66:1). The psalmist eagerly shared in his song the forgiveness God granted him when he turned from his sins (vv. 18–20).
God has done amazing works in the course of history, such as parting the waters of the Red Sea (v. 6). He also does amazing work in each of our personal lives: giving us hope in the midst of suffering, giving us the Holy Spirit to understand His Word, and providing for our daily needs. When we share with others our personal experiences of God’s work in our lives, we’re giving something of much greater value than an endorsement of a particular purchase—we’re acknowledging God’s goodness and encouraging one another along the journey of life.
Reflect & Pray Who can you tell about God’s work in your life? What story can you share?
God, help me declare the many wonderful ways You’ve worked in my life!
That is really something to think about. The Lord does so much for us, and often times it goes unnoticed, yet from scripture we know that every good and perfect gift cometh down from the Father of Lights. How many things do we take for granted? How many times do we fail to give God thanks for his blessing? How much good would those things left unsaid do in causing others to desire to know Jesus for themselves?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 5, 2019 16:35:19 GMT -5
Loaves and Fishes By David H. Roper
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Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16
Today's Scripture & Insight: Matthew 14:13–21 A young boy came home from church and announced with great excitement that the lesson had been about a boy who “loafed and fished all day.” He, of course, was thinking of the little boy who offered his loaves and fish to Jesus.
Jesus had been teaching the crowds all day, and the disciples suggested He send them into the village to buy bread. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples were perplexed for there were more than 5,000 to be fed!
You may know the rest of the story: a boy gave his lunch—five small loaves of bread and two fish—and with it Jesus fed the crowd (vv. 13–21). One school of thought contends that the boy’s generosity simply moved others in the crowd to share their lunches, but Matthew clearly intends us to understand that this was a miracle, and the story appears in all four gospels.
What can we learn? Family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and others stand around us in varying degrees of need. Should we send them away to those who are more capable than we are? Certainly, some people’s needs exceed our ability to help them, but not always. Whatever you have—a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, a brief prayer, some wisdom you’ve gathered—give it to Jesus and see what He can do.
Reflect & Pray What’s one need of another person that you may be able to meet? What can you give to Jesus to be used to bless others?
Jesus, give us eyes to see the ways we can care for others. Lead us and use us.
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Post by John on Aug 6, 2019 14:49:23 GMT -5
Loaves and Fishes By David H. Roper
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Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” Matthew 14:16
Today's Scripture & Insight: Matthew 14:13–21 A young boy came home from church and announced with great excitement that the lesson had been about a boy who “loafed and fished all day.” He, of course, was thinking of the little boy who offered his loaves and fish to Jesus.
Jesus had been teaching the crowds all day, and the disciples suggested He send them into the village to buy bread. Jesus replied, “You give them something to eat” (Matthew 14:16). The disciples were perplexed for there were more than 5,000 to be fed!
You may know the rest of the story: a boy gave his lunch—five small loaves of bread and two fish—and with it Jesus fed the crowd (vv. 13–21). One school of thought contends that the boy’s generosity simply moved others in the crowd to share their lunches, but Matthew clearly intends us to understand that this was a miracle, and the story appears in all four gospels.
What can we learn? Family, neighbors, friends, colleagues, and others stand around us in varying degrees of need. Should we send them away to those who are more capable than we are? Certainly, some people’s needs exceed our ability to help them, but not always. Whatever you have—a hug, a kind word, a listening ear, a brief prayer, some wisdom you’ve gathered—give it to Jesus and see what He can do.
Reflect & Pray What’s one need of another person that you may be able to meet? What can you give to Jesus to be used to bless others?
Jesus, give us eyes to see the ways we can care for others. Lead us and use us.
This story is clearly about a miracle that took place involving nothing more than 5 loaves and 2 fishes, nothing more. More than 5000 were fed with only that amount of food, but God multiplied it. It is reminiscent of the widow's barrel that never ran out of meal. It is amazing how people will try to make light of genuine heaven sent miracles! It shows that nothing is impossible with God. Remember that He is the creator of all that exists, so why should it seem impossible that He could simply create more of something on the spot? Look at how he multiplied the widow's oil! Is anything too hard for God? In truth, no. He can do anything. It comes down to our faith, along with whether or not our prayers are in line with the will of God.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2019 17:17:06 GMT -5
Will You Come Back? By Estera Pirosca Escobar
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Love [your wife] as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods. Hosea 3:1
Today's Scripture & Insight: Hosea 3:1–5 Ron and Nancy’s marriage was deteriorating rapidly. She had an affair, but after some time she admitted her sin to God. She knew what He wanted her to do, but it was difficult. She shared the truth with Ron. Instead of asking for a divorce, Ron chose to give Nancy a chance to win his trust back by showing that she’d changed. In a miraculous way God restored their marriage.
Ron’s actions are a picture of God’s love and forgiveness shown toward sinners like you and me. The prophet Hosea understood this well. He was commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman as a way to show Israel their status of unfaithfulness before Him (Hosea 1). If that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, when Hosea’s wife left him, God told him to ask her to come back. He said, “Show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress” (3:1). After all their disobedience, God longed for a close relationship with His people. Just as Hosea loved his unfaithful wife, pursued her, and sacrificed for her, so God loved His people. His righteous anger and jealousy were motivated by His great love.
This same God longs for us today to be near Him. As we come to Him in faith, we can trust that in Him we will find complete fulfillment.
Reflect & Pray How will you respond to God’s love today? Is there someone you can share His great love with?
God in heaven, how great and amazing is Your love, even for a sinner like me! For all the wrong I’ve done, I don’t deserve Your love. Thank You for forgiving me, for buying me back, for restoring our relationship.
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Post by John on Aug 6, 2019 18:18:33 GMT -5
Will You Come Back? By Estera Pirosca Escobar
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Love [your wife] as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods. Hosea 3:1
Today's Scripture & Insight: Hosea 3:1–5 Ron and Nancy’s marriage was deteriorating rapidly. She had an affair, but after some time she admitted her sin to God. She knew what He wanted her to do, but it was difficult. She shared the truth with Ron. Instead of asking for a divorce, Ron chose to give Nancy a chance to win his trust back by showing that she’d changed. In a miraculous way God restored their marriage.
Ron’s actions are a picture of God’s love and forgiveness shown toward sinners like you and me. The prophet Hosea understood this well. He was commanded by God to marry an unfaithful woman as a way to show Israel their status of unfaithfulness before Him (Hosea 1). If that wasn’t heartbreaking enough, when Hosea’s wife left him, God told him to ask her to come back. He said, “Show your love to your wife again, though she is loved by another man and is an adulteress” (3:1). After all their disobedience, God longed for a close relationship with His people. Just as Hosea loved his unfaithful wife, pursued her, and sacrificed for her, so God loved His people. His righteous anger and jealousy were motivated by His great love.
This same God longs for us today to be near Him. As we come to Him in faith, we can trust that in Him we will find complete fulfillment.
Reflect & Pray How will you respond to God’s love today? Is there someone you can share His great love with?
God in heaven, how great and amazing is Your love, even for a sinner like me! For all the wrong I’ve done, I don’t deserve Your love. Thank You for forgiving me, for buying me back, for restoring our relationship.
Being a prophet in Israel was not an easy thing. God used their lives to be signs to the children of Israel. Indeed, God did command Hosea to marry a woman who was unfaithful. Then he was told to reconcile with her. I know that had to be difficult. We read these stories and they can become matter of fact, like when Ezekiel's wife died as a sign. He wasn't allowed to grieve for her, though he clearly loved her, but these were real people with feelings.
In today's "Our Daily Bread," we see a real life example of Ron and Nancy, where Ron's wife cheated on him. He chose to forgive her and remain married, rather than putting her away. That is always God's best. We are not commanded to put away our spouse because they cheat, only allowed to do so. Certainly, God prefers that we choose the path of forgiveness.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2019 16:21:16 GMT -5
Back in the Battle By Tim Gustafson
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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Today's Scripture & Insight: 2 Samuel 12:26–31 As a child, she had hurled vicious words at her parents. Little did she know that those words would be her last interaction with them. Now, even after years of counseling, she can’t forgive herself. Guilt and regret paralyze her.
We all live with regrets—some of them quite terrible. But the Bible shows us a way through the guilt. Let’s look at one example.
There’s no sugarcoating what King David did. It was the time “when kings go off to war,” but “David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). Away from the battle, he stole another man’s wife and tried to cover it up with murder (vv. 2–5, 14–15). God stopped David’s downward plunge (12:1–13), but the king would live the rest of his life with the knowledge of his sins.
While David was rising from the ashes, his general, Joab, was winning the battle David should have been leading (12:26). Joab challenged David, “Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it” (v. 28). David finally got back to his God-appointed place as the leader of his nation and his army (v. 29).
When we permit our past to crush us, in effect we’re telling God His grace isn’t enough. Regardless of what we’ve done, our Father extends His complete forgiveness to us. We can find, as David did, grace enough to get back in the battle.
Reflect & Pray What regrets gnaw at your soul? Who in your life might be a safe person to talk to for the reassurance of God’s grace?
Father, may we truly realize Your love defines us.
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Post by John on Aug 8, 2019 4:31:19 GMT -5
Back in the Battle By Tim Gustafson
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If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Today's Scripture & Insight: 2 Samuel 12:26–31 As a child, she had hurled vicious words at her parents. Little did she know that those words would be her last interaction with them. Now, even after years of counseling, she can’t forgive herself. Guilt and regret paralyze her.
We all live with regrets—some of them quite terrible. But the Bible shows us a way through the guilt. Let’s look at one example.
There’s no sugarcoating what King David did. It was the time “when kings go off to war,” but “David remained in Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). Away from the battle, he stole another man’s wife and tried to cover it up with murder (vv. 2–5, 14–15). God stopped David’s downward plunge (12:1–13), but the king would live the rest of his life with the knowledge of his sins.
While David was rising from the ashes, his general, Joab, was winning the battle David should have been leading (12:26). Joab challenged David, “Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it” (v. 28). David finally got back to his God-appointed place as the leader of his nation and his army (v. 29).
When we permit our past to crush us, in effect we’re telling God His grace isn’t enough. Regardless of what we’ve done, our Father extends His complete forgiveness to us. We can find, as David did, grace enough to get back in the battle.
Reflect & Pray What regrets gnaw at your soul? Who in your life might be a safe person to talk to for the reassurance of God’s grace?
Father, may we truly realize Your love defines us.
I would imagine that everyone has things in their past they would like to go back and undo or do different, but that is not possible. All we can do is make the most of where we are now. That is a wonderful promise of God, that if we will confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. God will forgive us, and will wash us clean of the sin stains on our garments, but that doesn't mean there will be no consequences. David's life was chaotic from that day forward. He suffered one thing after another up until the day he died for his transgressions. Ideally, the best thing we can do is get up each day and take up our cross and follow Jesus. If we do that, our regrets will be few. Once we have done something wrong, as David did, you can't always undo the damage. All you can do is confess the wrong doing to the Lord, get back up and get back in the race and do your best going forward, but you can know you are forgiven.
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