Sometimes, we wonder if there is a God out there. If so, why do we go through tough times, and he seems unfeeling? I have had times when I feel like God does not care at all, and I know you have, too. Let’s find out together if this is the case or not.
2 Sam 11:2-5
2 And it came to pass in an evening tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof, he saw a woman washing herself; the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. KJV
The above is part of the story of how King David sinned by taking the wife of one of his soldiers and sleeping with her while the husband was out on duty. David seems to forget God a little and does things by his own will. This displeases God and the result is a whole load of terrible consequences. The punishment he gave David carries a big lesson for us as well. What’s the lesson you may wonder? Well, here it is.
2 Sam 12:1-7
12 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, there were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had many flocks and herds: 3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his meat, and drank of his cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his flock and of his herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: 6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. 15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. KJV
After listening to the story that Natan narrated David pronounces judgment on himself unknowingly and the rest suggests God as being the one who was to strike. Is this a true representation of God? Is the God that we worship this harsh? Notice how the same words were used to explain Pharoah’s hardness of heart before God could deliver the Israelites out of Egypt.
Ex 4:21-22
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. NIV
The words do not contain a literal meaning. God did not himself harden the heart of the king of Egypt instead he was not going to interpose or exert a divine influence upon him. He was going to let him exercise his heart’s desire to the limit without restraint. Again, in the passage when God says to David “I will’ it does not mean that God would influence what was to happen rather it suggests that He would not exercise His power to protect David from the results of his sin as he had protected him from the enmity of Saul and the like. If you read the full story you will realise, he was severely punished. He lost his influence upon his subjects and he could not manage his family. It was torn apart as a result. God could have prevented all this from happening but he chose not to. That’s what sin causes.
Rev 7:1-2
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or the sea or on any tree. NIV
Think about this for a minute. What could be the four winds in your life that God is/has restrained behind the scenes? Because you trusted in his name, he has helped you in so many ways most of which you are unaware of. Can you imagine what can befall you if like David you despise God’s name for a minute and he decides to withdraw his saving power from you? We have every reason to be thankful to God because it is not by our power that we are still alive but by his sustaining love.
Ps 54:4
4 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. NIV
Life will always have its ups and down but this does not rule out God’s love and care for us. Each day instead of dwelling on the negative things that have happened to you during the day try also to record the positive ones that you’ve noticed. I tell you this will help grow your faith in strength. You will realize that you are never alone, God has always been sustaining you at all times.
Deut 31:8
8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” NIV
God bless you as you start to appreciate his presence in your life. See you in the next lesson
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