Mindy Lee Hopman

Splendor and majesty are before Him, strength and joy are in His place. 1 Chronicles 16:27 (NASB)

There were two men in the city – a rich man and a poor man.  The rich man had many flocks and herds. The poor man had one little ewe lamb which was raised with the family. A traveler came through town, but the rich man was unwilling to use one of his own flock to prepare for the wayfarer, so he took the poor man’s sweet ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit (2 Samuel 12:1-4).

When Nathan the prophet shared this story with King David, the king raged against the rich man and asked him how one could do such a thing.

Nathan revealed to King David that the story was about himself.

It’s a matter of the heart King David.
It always has been, and it always will be a matter of the heart.

King David had a kingdom, a house, and many wives – yet he wanted the one woman who belonged to another man.

His heart was in a place of rebellion.  His choices reflected his heart condition.

When our hearts are in this place there is only one direction we can fall.  

As the king, he should have been with his men at war, but he chose to stay behind – Joab and his servants and the men of Israel went into battle without their king (2 Samuel 11:1).  After a good nights sleep, he walked out of his palace and saw a beautiful woman bathing.  David chose to have Bathsheba as his own and the beautiful, married woman became pregnant.  So, he chose to have her husband killed, and then he chose to marry her (2 Samuel 11).

The gift of joy may always be present, but sin covers up joy.

David could have stopped when he found out Bathsheba was married – his heart led him down a slippery slope of sin right into adultery and murder. We are either in God’s will or outside of it – anything outside of God’s will is considered “missing the mark” or “sin.”  The presence of the Holy Spirit lets me know when I am “missing the mark.”  The feelings of anxiety, anger, and worry are constantly present because His peace and joy are covered with the ugliness of sin.

David was a man after God’s own heart, but he let his flesh consume the spirit.  We can chase God’s heart, but if we let our flesh consume the spirit then we travel down the slippery slope of sin.

In love, Nathan confronted David, and because of God’s great love, David recognized his heart condition.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Psalm 51:1 (NASB)

David chose to turn his heart back to God. 

In his humanness, he missed the mark.

In God’s grace, he was forgiven.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 (NASB)

In our humanness we often miss the mark, in God’s grace we are forgiven.

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51:11-12 (NIV)

In the Old Testament, David saw God remove his Spirit from Saul.
In the New Testament, when we believe, we are sealed in God’s Spirit forever.

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)

God forgave David and did not put him to death, but even when our sin is forgiven there are still consequences. David’s son born to Bathsheba died (2 Samuel 12:19) and the sword came hard within his house (2 Samuel 12:10-11).  David was forgiven, because of God’s great mercy, yet God is just in all of his ways.  After the boy’s death, David rose and in his grief worshiped God. 

The layers of sin were peeled away and God restored his joy. 

God moved David’s heart back into the fullness of his presence and his restoration brought God naches.

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalm 16:11 (NASB)

Shortly afterwards, God blessed David and Bathsheba with a son named Solomon who will become the next king and build the first temple of Israel.

Heavenly Father,
I praise You for who you are and for Your constant love towards us.  Even when we mess up, You still love us completely.  Thank You for helping us to see that even King David made choices which missed the mark.  Although he was forgiven, there were still consequences for his sin, but the JOY he found in Your presence was greater than anything else he had to face.  Please help us to realize the JOY we find in your presence is greater than anything else we will ever encounter in the world we live in today.
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen

Reflect & Respond:
Is there something causing you to miss the mark?  Is there something covering up your joy?
What layers need to be peeled away in order to restore your joy?

He will be found by you when you seek Him with all of your heart, and in His presence there is fullness of joy.
Seeking Joy with you,

Basking in His Light

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