“ When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” O Lord, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.” (Psalm 30:6-7 NIV).
“When I was prosperous I said, “Nothing can stop me now!” Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.” (Psalm 30:6-7 NLT).
The setting of this passage is found in 1 Chronicles 21. God has blessed David with victory after victory. At this point of his life, David’s focus shifted from God to what he thought were his accomplishments (pride can slip so quickly into our hearts if we are not careful). “When I was prosperous I said, ‘Nothing can stop me now!’”(Psalm 30:6 NLT).
How often are we like this. We pray and pray and ask God for some coveted thing, and when it comes, suddenly we forget God and begin to congratulate ourselves for our accomplishments instead of thanking Him for His answers. That was David’s sin. God quickly gains his attention: “Your favor, O Lord, made me as secure as a mountain. Then you turned away from me, and I was shattered.” (Psalm 30:7 NLT).
70,000 die in a few days because of David’s pride. I want to drive this point home. No sin is private and no sin is innocent. Sin is lethal–always. In this particular case, David himself escapes the death penalty, but his actions result in the death of 70,000 men.
Sometimes we manage to blunder through life oblivious to the destructive path we are leaving behind. David was at least sensitive enough to realize his responsibility and face it squarely. I think of the Christian woman who was having a feud with her non-Christian neighbor. I don’t know who might have been in the right or wrong in that situation, but the Christian was clearly in the wrong in demonstrating a bitter, vindictive attitude toward this neighbor. So hostile was the situation that the neighbor simply moved; left without a word.
Later, the Christian woman came under conviction. Recognizing her culpability, she asked God to forgive her and give her a chance to make things right, even though she had no idea where her neighbor had gone. God answered her prayer and in a chance meeting in a grocery store, she came face to face with her former neighbor. The tension was palpable, until the Christian asked forgiveness for her sinful behavior. The neighbor stood silent for a minute and then began to weep. Recently she had learned she had terminal cancer. She told of wanting to find some hope, but reasoning that Christianity was not an option based upon her experience with this former Christian neighbor. To make a long story short, had this Christian lady been unwilling to change, chances are that lady would have died without Christ. As it turned out, the Christian neighbor was able to lead her former neighbor to faith once the barrier had been removed.
I wonder how many of us are cutting swaths of destruction and going blissfully on our own way satisfied that we are in the right and everyone else must be wrong? Eternity is at stake. Like David’s situation our sin may not directly seem to effect us, but it devastates others. It might be pride. It might be a critical spirit. It might be vindictiveness or cruel unthinking reactions to others. We excuse it as “personality” but it is killing others. Perhaps it is time for a change.
David recognized his culpability immediately after the census was taken, but it was too late. Forgiveness was offered (because God is a loving and forgiving God) but, in order for David to learn the horribleness of even secret sin, the penalty was severe. Too many people sin banking on seeking forgiveness later but forgetting that no sin anywhere goes unpunished. Isn’t that why Christ went through His agony? How short-sighted, selfish and sinful it is when any professed believer assumes that he or she can sin because they know the penalty has already been paid for by another. Lest you think I am preaching to you, let me assure you with shame, I’ve acted that way as well! I picture myself at the foot of the cross saying, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!” For that is what we do when we willfully sin.
No comments:
Post a Comment