2009 – Day 139.May 20 – Riding Out The Storm

2009 – Day 139.May 20 – Riding Out The Storm

Passage of the Day: 2nd Samuel 12: 13 – 25 … Link to 2nd Samuel 12 for study …

My Journal for Today: In today’s passage we read of one of the worst storms in David’s life. Yes, he shared it with Bathsheba; but like most storms in the life of believers, we have to ride out the storms of life essentially alone. Others may be there, as they were for David; and others may be affected. But they have to ride out the storm for themselves as well.

David, in this scenario is a pretty good model of riding out the storm. He did the right things. He fasted and prayed. He relied on God and His truth (i.e., God’s word); and He turned his life and circumstances over to God, not giving in to his own feelings of remorse and grief. And then, when the circumstances took the life which he and Bathsheba had born, David moved on, not wallowing in self pity as is the case for many, if not most, of us. Oh, how our enemy, Satan, loves to see us paralyzed in self pity.

When we are faced with the consequences and the whirlwind which comes after we have sinned, I’m one who has a tendency to beat myself up and to wallow in self pity. And it does no good … for me, for those around me, and most certainly, for God. And though it’s taken years, I’m learning to follow the model of David in this storm of life which is recorded in God’s word for us in 2nd Samuel.

I pray that you don’t have to face the storms which will arise in the aftermath of sin, especially habitual, long-lasting sin. Obviously the best way to avoid such storms is to avoid sin in the first place. But should the storm come as a result of your sin, ride out the storm you must. And if you can confess and repent and move on, as David did, the storm will pass. And if you have done what David did in this scenario, you can go to Psalms 51 [linked for you] and then to Psalm 32 [also linked here]; and you will read how God can take a sinner and bring about restoration so that he offender can move on and still live for the glory of God.

Today’s devotional entry has been a good study for me. I hope it has for you. We all need to remember that God will never abandon His children (see Hebrews 13: 5); and He will be there on the other side of the storm with His grace to give us strength and to move on (see 1st Cor. 10: 13 and 2nd Cor. 12: 9 and Phil 4: 13). And after the storm passes, we can move on and still be used by God for His glory. David did; and so can we.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, thank You for the reminder of who I am in Christ; and how You will stay with me even in storms which I have created. Amen