Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Friday, 6 October 2017 "Abide In Peace" by Amy Crofford - 2 Samuel 12:1-18

Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - WordAction - The Foundry Publishing House of Kansas City, Missouri, United States - The Global Church of the Nazarene for Friday, 6 October 2017 "Abide In Peace" by Amy Crofford - 2 Samuel 12:1-18

2 Samuel 12:1 Adonai sent Natan to David. He came and said to him, “In a certain city there were two men, one rich, the other poor. 2 The rich man had vast flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing, except for one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared. It had grown up with him and his children; it ate from his plate, drank from his cup, lay on his chest — it was like a daughter to him. 4 One day a traveler visited the rich man, and instead of picking an animal from his own flock or herd to cook for his visitor, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to him.”
David exploded with anger against the man and said to Natan, “As Adonai lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 For doing such a thing, he has to pay back four times the value of the lamb — and also because he had no pity.”
Natan said to David, “You are the man.
is what Adonai, the God of Isra’el says: ‘I anointed you king over Isra’el. I rescued you from the power of Sha’ul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives to embrace. I gave you the house of Isra’el and the house of Y’hudah. And if that had been too little, I would have added to you a lot more.
“‘So why have you shown such contempt for the word of Adonai and done what I see as evil? You murdered Uriyah the Hitti with the sword and taken his wife as your own wife; you put him to death with the sword of the people of ‘Amon. 10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house — because you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriyah the Hitti as your own wife.’ 11 Here is what Adonai says: ‘I will generate evil against you out of your own household. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to your neighbor; he will go to bed with your wives, and everyone will know about it. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Isra’el in broad daylight.’”
David said to Natan, “I have sinned against Adonai.”
said to David, “Adonai also has taken away your sin. You will not die. 14 However, because by this act you have so greatly blasphemed Adonai, the child born to you must die.” 15 Then Natan returned to his house.
struck the child that Uriyah’s wife had borne to David, and it became very ill. 16 David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground. 17 The court officials got up and stood next to him trying to get him off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn’t eat food with them. 18 On the seventh day, the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, because they said, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he didn’t listen to us; if we tell him now that the child is dead, he may do himself some harm.”
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When confronted with his sin, David made no excuses. He repented, asking God to create a pure heart in him. Even so, he pleaded with God for his son’s life. After his son’s death, he accepted the judgment of God. He then continued his life and was called a man after God’s own heart.
“The wages of the righteous is life, but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death” (Proverbs 10:16). Do the sinful prosper? We observe that some do, at least in material goods and influence. They seem to live well. Others obviously are deeply troubled by the consequences of sin. Yet, do any live in peace? Sin and the things gained through it cannot fill the human heart or life.
“Shalom” is the Jewish term that is often translated “peace.” It means that all is as it should be. We are comfortable in God’s presence. We are whole and complete. Making righteous choices, we can live our lives and live abundantly. We can rest peacefully at night and abide in God’s presence every day.
Hymn for Today:

"Arise, My Soul Arise" by Charles Wesley
1. Arise, my soul, arise;
shake off thy guilty fears;
the bleeding Sacrifice
in my behalf appears:
before the throne my Surety stands,
before the throne my Surety stands:
my name is written on His hands.
2. He ever lives above,
for me to intercede,
His all-redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead;
His blood atoned for all our race,
His blood atoned for all our race,
and sprinkles now the throne of grace.
3. Five bleeding wounds He bears,
received on Calvary;
they pour effectual pray'rs,
they strongly plead for me:
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Forgive him, O forgive," they cry,
"Nor let that ransomed sinner die!"
4. The Father hears Him pray,
His dear anointed One;
He cannot turn away
the presence of his Son;
His Spirit answers to the blood,
His Spirit answers to the blood,
and tells me I am born of God.
5. My God is reconciled;
His pard'ning voice I hear;
He owns me for His child;
I can no longer fear;
with confidence I now draw nigh,
with confidence I now draw nigh,
and, "Father, Abba, Father," cry.
Thought for Today:
Don’t delude yourselves: no one makes a fool of God! A person reaps what he sows.(Galatians 6:7}
Please pray:
For the development of Christian leaders in Honduras.
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