David has pulled aside the veil to his inmost thoughts and the struggles he experienced during a dark time of his life. He is living the painful consequences of unwise decisions made years before. He stole another man’s wife and had that man put to death. When he was confronted for this by his friend and spiritual advisor Nathan, he repented and received forgiveness from God (2 Samuel 12:13). God’s forgiveness doesn’t necessarily prevent or eliminate consequences. It is not punishment. It is the result of sowing sin (Galatians 6:7-9).
What makes this time of experiencing the painful consequences of his unwise choices so hard is how much it has affected his family. They have been devastated and a few even acted just as sinfully as David did years before. When you have betrayed your family (not to mention the Lord), you will never forget it. The loss of relationships within the family, the loss to time involved with them, and knowing you placed them in positions of unbelievable temptation and struggle is often more than some can handle. So they make more unwise decisions which only add to the trouble.
Since David knew God had forgiven him (we know because of Psalms 32 and 51), he shows us not only where God is in the consequences, but also what God is doing during this period. He understands he is not being punished but in New Testament terminology he is being disciplined (Hebrews 12) or pruned (John 15).
We learn three things about God that are always true in the lives of His followers whether they are facing the consequences of their stupidity or just experiencing the normal struggles of life. These three things are ALWAYS true no matter what!
The first thing we see is that God is a shield about us (vs. 3). The word means “to cover.” God is protecting us on all sides (2 Thessalonians 3:3). God stands between us and our troubles no matter the cause. He doesn’t promise to protect us from troubles but to protect us in them. David is sure of this because he uses “LORD” which is the covenant name; the name of relationship. We sin, suffer the consequences, but God promises to be our shield in those and at all times.
When the memories of incalculable failure surface, remember: God is a shield about you. He never abandons His own even when they fail Him. He has already forgiven sin confessed and repented of (1 John 1:5-2:2). So forgiveness is not the issue; it is God protecting us from false guilt. It is God protecting us in painful memories. It is God covering us with Himself because we are His even if the most important people in your life at one time have abandoned you. God is right now, right here, at this very moment and every moment to follow a shield about you.
For Reflection:
- Is there a particular failure that still haunts you?
- Have you really confessed the sin and forsaken it? (see Proverbs 28:13).
- Focus on what God is focused on—He is your shield. He is not focused on your failure.
Incredible! We mess up but God will forgive, restore, and remain our shield at all times.
Thanks Rick. Merry Christmas. Lv to I all
Sent from my iPad
>