2024_03_27 Insight Post- Rusty Coram
This week’s reading – 1 Samuel 16 – 19
As we read about David, we see similarities to how Saul started. Humility and a lack of arrogance marked them both as God showed them His favor and selected each to be king. Soon, though, Saul succumbed to the power he had and fed a growing and ungodly ego. With growing success, fame, and attention, David remains focused on God’s reputation and honor in both good and bad times. However, we know that later, as the king, David will give into sinful temptation – adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrating her husband’s murder. A big difference between the two is that David genuinely repented of his sins and returned to his devotion to God, where Saul had every opportunity but chose not to.
A couple of lessons can be found here:
(1) Starting well is good but doesn’t guarantee finishing well. A healthy relationship with God (or anyone) requires regular attention and maintenance. Love can easily slide into apathy, resentment, anger, or fear unless problems are addressed honestly all along the way.
(2) Messing up doesn’t have to lead to a permanent condition of estrangement. Admitting our faults and failures and then making amends can bring us back into a good relationship with God. My failure doesn’t have to become final. I can be fully restored through God’s amazing grace and kindness. That doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences for my sin, but lasting estrangement from God doesn’t have to be one. David wrote a song to capture this:
“Have mercy on me, O God,
because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion,
blot out the stain of my sins.
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
You will be proved right in what you say,
and your judgment against me is just.” Psalm 51:1–4 (NLT)
Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor