Worship instead of desperation!

On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."

David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead."

Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. - 2 Samuel 12:18-20

Did you notice David's response to God's response....?

Story Summery...David lusts over his neighbor's wife, Bathsheba. He seduces her and sleeps with Bathsheba. She gets pregnant. David had her husband killed. David takes Bathsheba as his wife. God is not happy with David. The baby gets sick and then dies. David pleads with God to intervene and heal the baby. God does not.

David could have very easily turned his back on God and did exactly what the servants anticipated..."do something desperate." But instead, we see Him get cleaned up and go to the house of the Lord to worship...He went and declared how much God was worth in His life. He went before he even went home or before he had anything to eat. I wonder how many of us would do that?

There is a lesson in David's actions. God is sovereign over all things. I need to learn that more and more. God is also not the main focus in this story...People do stupid things. David and Bathsheba were way out in the sin domain and what David did was absolutely against God. How many of the ten commandments could David break in one story? 8 out of 10....?

This is humbling to me, because I do stupid things too. I am also praising Him today because we live in the era of Grace. Jesus has paid the price from my stupidity...for my sin. I want to be more like David when the consequences of my sin fall my direction.

You may ask, "If God loves us, why does He refrain from protecting us from the wrong choices we make and sin we live." The answer is direct and gained in David's response...God chooses to go through the consequences with us. In other words, we grow and learn to lean on Him while we submit to our God and the discipline it takes for the release from the sin the so easily entangles us. He is a good God and never leaves us nor forsakes us...that is why when the results of poor choices or the results of "life" comes our way, we can do as David did and go to the house of the Lord and WORSHIP! We are not alone and there is therefore no need for desperation.

"Thank you Lord for being with us and always providing for us in the most opportune time. You are a great God and I worship you!"

You know I love ya, Don