Closing the Distance

(Please read 2 Samuel Chapters 11-12 before reading the post) "...and they said, "He is dead." So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate." 1 Samuel 12:19 (beginning in the last part of verse 19) - 20. I love studying the Bible and all the people God chose to let us read about. But, you know what? There is one person that I am extremely thankful that God didn't leave out... David! I love to study about David. To me, we can learn so much from him. When David was just a young boy, God let him defeat a giant and become a hero! Here is a man that God loved so much that he chose to be Israel's king. He even favored David so that He allowed Jesus to come from David's bloodline. Why? God loved David because David's passion was making his own heart reflect God's. In order to make your heart mirror someone else, you must know that person very well. David is one person that we can study in order to know exactly how to have a phenomenal relationship with God. That is one reason I am eager to learn about David. The closeness that was between David and God is what I want too. But, I also noticed another reason I am thankful for David's story being told in God's word. David shows us what to do when we mess up and how to 'get it back on the road' with God. Before God founded my ministry, I would find myself distant from God and had no clue how to 'get back' to Him. I kept wondering how I could keep this from happening with me and God again? God began to show me that preventing distance was all about maintaining closeness. Yep...Duh! Anyway, Filling the Gap is all about the relationship with God and learning that even though sin does distance us from our Father, the cross brings us back with Him again and again through forgiveness. Here's the kicker: God gets all this. We kind of.... don't. I always ask God to forgive me for allowing sin to come between Him and me but then I fail to believe He has forgiven me and continue wallowing in self pity(all the while keeping distance). Here's where David comes in as a great example. In 2 Samuel Chapter 11, David sets his eyes on another man's wife. To make the story shorter, David commits adultery with Bathsheba and then (to make matters worse) plots to make sure her husband dies on the front lines of battle. But then God sends Nathan to convict David of this sinful spiral he is in. Then, David closes the distance between him and God... he repents. David admits what he did was hurtful to God. David's sin had repercussion. David's child that he had with Bathsheba (apart from God's plan) was taken from him by death. Now, what happens next is the whole point of the post that God placed on my heart. David was honest with God about his emotions and pleaded with God not to take his child. But when the child died, when God did what God thought was best, David worshiped Him. Unbelievable. David worshiped God. Why? How? I believe it was because David knew God so well that He trusted God's plan for his life. It was that relationship that was in place before anything happened. This is the true meaning of Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." This verse does not say "some things" or "only the things we do that are good". God can even take our sin and work it out to be the very best for us! The question is do you trust Him? Maybe you feel distant with God right now in your Christian walk. We have proof and a road map on how to be close to God instantly. Tell God you want Him to forgive you, work on a new plan to keep from letting it happen again, and move on to worshiping Him. Why? Because God knows the very best for you and me. I want to have faith like David. I want to know that even when I fail the very God I love so much, I can trust Him with all my decisions. I hope you will too. The good news is that when we do trust God with everything, He proves Himself over and over again. David's proof of Romans 8:28? A spiritual legacy that gave us a Savior! Love, Corrie My prayer for today: Lord, how often I fail you. I am so glad that you are the God of forgiveness and that you run to me before I even realize you are there. Forgive me for placing distance between you and I by not accepting that forgiveness. Help me to be like David. Help me to know that you do what you say you will do...