Today, I
would like for us to look at David for a moment. We know Him as King David, God's chosen to
lead Israel, the one that God picked as a young boy on the hillside, the one
who killed Goliath against all odds, and the one would be known as a man after
God's own heart.
This is
someone who loves the Lord…no doubt.
But, he was not perfect. He was
prone to sin just like anyone else. And,
he fell just like anyone else would…except he fell big time.
You probably
know what happened. Man sees beautiful woman…man
goes after beautiful woman…beautiful woman is married…man gets married woman
pregnant…man has husband killed.
It was a
horrible thing for David to do. Truly
one of his lowest points. He might have
thought he got away with it. It had been
quite a while…maybe a year since the incident.
Now the woman is his. David is
trying to put his sin in the past, but certainly not talking about it,
admitting it or even willing to face it.
Just sweep it under the rug and move on.
But, God has
other plans. God has seen the sin (as if
He wouldn't). God knows what has been
going on and it has gone on way too long without being acknowledged. Nathan, the prophet, comes on the scene with
an important message.
2 Samuel 12:1-15
David has
been running from his sin (as if he could really escape). He has been trying to ignore what he has
done. Nathan comes up with a story. It is David's job as king to protect the
poor. An injustice has been done to
someone who is poor. David can't stand
that to happen.
Well, it
can't stand it until he realizes the injustice has been done…by him. Nathan tells him the story and then points a
mirror in his face. Nathan lets him know
that God knows who the man is that has committed this sin and it is the man who
is in the mirror.
I can
imagine that it causes David's heart to sink.
His knees probably buckled as Nathan relays a message from God. There are consequences to what has happened. David has NOT gotten away with the sin. God saw…God knows…God shows David who is in
the mirror.
This reminds
me that God doesn't mess around with sin.
It also reminds me that it is time that we start taking a look at who is
in our mirror.
It is not
easy to do. When we take a long hard
look at who is in the mirror, it makes us have to confront our sin. It is really easy for me to point fingers,
but very difficult for me to take a look at who is in the mirror.
It is really
easy for me to talk about the things that need to get done in the church, but
really hard me to take a look at what God has called me to do in the church.
It is really
easy for me to point out what other people aren't doing but really hard for me
to hear God tell me what I am not doing.
The man in
the mirror is starting back at me and that is difficult to deal with. I don't want to hear what I have done wrong
or what I am not doing or admit where I have gotten off track. I don't want to think about my sins or
shortcomings. I want to help other people
realize theirs. I would be good at
that…I can tell others where they aren't going right…do I really have to look
at me??
If we want
to grow as people…if we want to flourish as Christians…if we want to become
what God has called us to be…we have to look at the person who is staring back
at us in the mirror and begin having honest conversations with God about where
we are.
Nathan had a
powerful message for David…"YOU are the one"…maybe we start heeding
that message as well. Take a look at who
is in your mirror.
The good news is that when we come honestly to
God and repent and commit ourselves to Him, He listens and loves me and will
help me to be what He has called me to be.
There is hope when we come to him honestly and with a repentant
heart.
