“He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us..” - 2 Cor 1:10 (NIV).
King David had sinned before God and was being punished for having an innocent man executed just to have his wife (2 Samuel 12). The prophet Nathan told David, “But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die” (vv 14).
David, a born warrior, was not a man who easily gave up. “After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground” (vv 15-16). Yet, in spite of all his prayers, the child died!
Knowing how earnestly he had been praying, “David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate” (vv 18). Thy were mistaken. To their shock David, simply, “got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped” (vv 20). David reasoned that, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (vv 22-23).
It can be argued that that this positive spirit of David, of not letting the past limit him with guilt and bitterness, was the reason why he would be blessed later with another son by Bathsheba, Solomon. Imagine if, David had held himself still tied down with his sin, refusing to accept forgiveness from God, whether he would have been able to move on and experience the Lord’s blessings ahead. David did not allow a setback define him.
Holding on to a bitter past of whatever nature can be a hindrance to some of us, forbidding us to move ahead. There could be an incident which happened in one’s relation with God or acquaintances, that one has held on, bitterly, keeps going back, and can’t make any progress at all, because of it. May we pick up from David not to let out slips and whatever misfortunes define us, but instead look ahead to his promises, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I thank you that I am totally forgiven of my sins by the blood of your son Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and I am not held back by my past but stand victorious in His name!
Related upcoming events
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06/05/2024 - 07/05/2024 All day“Do not confirm to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2)
Almost all cultivators are aware that if soils are used perpetually without rains but constantly under work they are deprived of all nutrients. So, though once productive, they lose all power to yield fresh crops as before. But so is our Christian life when we do not regularly feed our spirit life with the Word!
In our leading verse, the Apostle Paul is urging believers to “renew” their minds rather than make them stale, lest they end up losing all power to yield fruit. But how is this done? We renew our minds by constantly reading the Word of God, for there are always insights with God speaking to us afresh. Psalm 119:104-5 says, “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” The Apostle Peter reminds us, “Like newborn babies hungry for milk, you should want the pure teaching that feeds your spirit. With it you can grow and be saved.” It is a beautiful illustration for any who have seen a hungry baby sucking the teats of a mother.
Renewing our minds is also by reading about the lives of people of faith who have walked before us and their created works. The Christian faith started in the first century after Jesus was crucified and resurrected from the dead. Now over two millenniums it has produced giants of faith who have shared their walk with God through inspired teachings that are a treasure to dig into. By scouring the writings of the great saints before us, listening to their recorded sermons, songs and preaching, which these days can be found on virtual medial channels like Yu tube, reading their biographies, our faith is renewed.
And then we also renew our faith through fellowship. When the Apostle Paul urges us, “not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” ( Hebrews 10:25), he is reminding us that our faith cannot grow in isolation. During the Covid pandemic lockdown one bitter issue was denying Believers opportunity to meet fellow followers of Christ to share testimonies showing the work of God in their lives.
So today, if your faith is on a low keel, or you want it to flower, one thing you can’t help doing without is “renewing” your mind. The blessings to unfold are endless.
Prayer for today:Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a treasure we have of your rich Word to dig into always; books around us of faith to inspire us; and believers to share our faith- may we make use of these, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
