Advent Week 4: Love (God’s Love Story)
December 22, 2024
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. (1 Kings 15: 5)
Wait. Did I read that correctly?
But the Bible says David “did not turn aside from anything” for “all the days of his life”?
Yes, I think. He did turn away! He committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and had Uriah killed! The Bible acknowledges that, so what is going on?
David’s mistakes did not erase his victories.
When David sinned, he confessed to God, grieved, repented and turned back to God. I had a terrible 7 years in my life from age 25-32. Like David, I sinned greatly. But all I did by faith before and after those years count. Every one of the years I was consistently walking with God can still be fully leveraged for His glory. I am no David, but to personalize the above verse as an underscore what I mean, the verse would read, For Laurie had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn aside from anything that he commanded her all the days of his life, except for those seven years.
God keeps the mistakes in their place.
I am comforted that our mark in history is not so much identified by our personal list of sins but by who we worship and in whom we have faith for the forgiveness of those sins. My identity is what Jesus says about me, not my list of behaviors. Period.
Every hero of the faith messed up.
Moses murdered. Abraham struggled with lying. Noah got drunk in his tent. The messy pieces are good news. From them, we learn that our moments of sin don’t define us because such moments did not define them. We also lose the temptation to worship such people because they are too much like us. Instead, we are more likely to worship God, the God that has kept track of every time we honored and obeyed him, no matter how many times we didn’t.
God measures what we did wrong, but treasures what we got right.
For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. (2 Chronicles 6:9)
Picture Explanation: Our youngest is now learning how to drive. Last one. Learning stick shift is challenging, but this week something clicked. He is now shifting smooth as ice, feathering into parking spaces, and starting on a hill without coasting backwards. We are almost ready for the road. I am proud he didn’t quit when the going got tough.
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I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes growth.
1 Corinthians 3:6
2 Responses
I was once asked as a new member of a Bible Study what Bible figure I wanted to be like. I picked David. “What?!” Came the reply, “the one who committed adultery and murder?!” I’m so glad that while people generally remember others for their big errors that God remembers his kids by their heart for him.
You’re right, Laurie! When our deeds come out of a wholehearted love for God, they last forever! Thanks for being one of those persons in my life. It lifts me up.
Oh, if only we could remove the lists of sins from the lenses through which we view each other. You are right, God sees the heart. David worshiped God alone. When he sinned, he confessed and repented before the God he worshiped. May the same be true of us.