Dust yourself off & get back on

We all know the story of David [1 samuel]


It's been the topic of a million sermons, a million bible studies. I'm sure that we've all heard his tale told to remind us to be vigulent in regards to sexual temptation, but tonight I was reminded of Davids tale by 'Sons of Korah' and utterly captivated and inspired to be like David.

Now don't freak out people, I'm not planning on doing the dirty with someone else's husband, but rather, what I have been inspired by is Davids actions after his devastation, the price of his sin.





For anyone who may need reminding of the whole story, heres my summarised version.





David was King, God had shown great favour and blessed him incredibly by placing him on the throne. Usually David headed off to battle with his army, but one day when the rest of the army was getting kitted up and set to ride off to victory, David decided he was pretty knackered and could use a bit of a sleep in. So the rest of the army heads off and David stays home. After a leisurely sleep in, he decides to go for a bit of a stroll around on the rooftop to get some fresh air and warm himself in the sun.


As he wanders out and begins to look over his kingdom, he notices, on a nearby rooftop, a beautiful woman bathing. Now this woman wasn't just nice looking, we're talking drop-dead gorgeous!


David decides that he wants to have her, he must have her...


Being the king, he is met with very little argument, and upon investigation he discovers she's married to one of the men inlisted in his Army. Wanting to have Bathsheba completely to himself, he decides to use his influence to get rid of her husband, he orders him to the front lines of battle, and pretty soon he's dead - just as David planned.


David has avoided his God, and with it, he feels as though he is falling apart.


One day his friend Nathan arrives and hits David with some pretty full-on truths. David starts seeing the error of his ways- big time! He confesses his sin to God and is granted forgiveness.


But there is a price, Davids sin had caused the enemies of God to show utter disdain, through his actions, David had despised his God. So God strikes the child with sickness. David strips down to a sackcloth and spends the next 7 nights pleading with God for the life of his child.


On the 7th day the child dies.


David is told of the childs death, he picks himself up off the floor of his home, he goes and he splashes his face with water, he changes his clothes, he walks into the house of God and he worships his Lord.





In my opinion this is one of the most amazing stories told in the bible, and it is here, at the conclusion that I am able to say "I want to be like David".


Yes I screw up, yes I get it really really wrong at times. Sometimes I allow my sin to seperate me from God, and in my pride I allow myself to believe that I can float along seperated from him and not feel the pain of that space in between us.


Till I give it up and realise that I need him, so desperately in my life.





But perhaps the even bigger stirring Davids tale created in me, came in his reaction to the death of his son. He begged God not to take him, and his son was taken anyway. David didn't get snotty, he didn't get angry, he didn't reject God. No. He took a deep breath, he prepared himself, picked himself back up and worshipped his God. No wonder God called this guy "A man after my own heart".





I want to be so desperate to serve God in complete faith and love, that even when things don't go the way I want, even when I don't get what I really, really want. I'm able to pick myself up, dust myself off, without anger or disdain, and continue to step out in worship and service to my king - knowing that he has never sold me short, never given me less and that he continues to love me and guide me, in his truth.





I want to live for my Gods way, and continue to lay down my own.


I want to be cheerful through every stage and phase of this life.


Because I am loved and I am watched over. I can trust his word. For his word is truth.


p.s. I recently read a story about Darlene Zchech in which she told of visting her doctor one day while she was pregnant, only to discover that she had miscarried, in her grief as she drove home she felt God calling her to sing, to sing in worship to him. And she did.

This heart of worship is not an outdated concept. Let the heart of David be an attitude we continue to embrace, today.