A LESSON FROM KING DAVID

I have been pondering scripture this AM. King David is named as "A man after God's own heart." Quite a lofty description for a mere mortal. King David enjoyed it ALL-wealth, the favor of the people, beautiful wife, children, strength, good health-the list goes on and on. Yet David was not satisfied and sought more. What made David dis-satisfied and searching for more?

While David had it all, his loyal servant, Uriah had one wife. Uriah put his King first-even before his family or his personal needs. He was faithful and devoted to David-even to the point of his death. Was Uriah aware of David's order to put him in harm's way? Did he even question the King's orders-even when they seemed doomed for disaster? David was so bent upon covering up his sin before the eyes of men that he did not stop to consider that his sin was very visible before God. We hide nothing from God. David's lust and desire that he allowed to rule a day and his subsequent efforts to make a wrong right by another wrong led to sure disaster.

Reading the scripture, we come to the conclusion that David repented and sought God's forgiveness. God, our gracious God, forgave David. We tend to walk away thinking all was well for David once again.

I leave you with this-David lived with the consequences of his sin for the remainder of his life. The son that Bathsheba bore David died-forever gone but always a memory. What became of the relationship that David and Bathsheba had. Did their love cool with the enormity of the guilt of what David had done? Did Bathsheba live with the doubt that David would turn from her to another-more beautiful and fetching- just as he did with her?

Our sins are forgiven with the act of true repentance. We are made righteous by the blood sacrifice that was shed for our redemption. The fact remains that the consequences of our sin-even our forgiven sin-follow us the remainder of our days. We are healed by the blood-but the scar-the scar remains for a lifetime.