2 Samuel 12:1-13

Sometimes the most basic childhood lessons come back to mean a lot to us as adults. In 2 Samuel 12: 1-13, Nathan tells David the parable of the rich man who takes the only sheep of a poor man to prepare a meal for his guest. David is furious until he finds out that he is the rich man in the parable. David, just like the rich man, took something precious from someone else. How does David react? He commits murder to cover it up, however, God sends Nathan as a messenger to inform David that his son will die because of his sins. Kind of a harsh story on the surface.
Here's what I got out of the story. David tried to hide his sins, even from God, to have what he wanted with no consequences. Are we any different? How often do we blindly justify our sinful ways? We make excuses for what we have done or convince ourselves that we can confess them away in the future. David lost out on a huge blessing in his life (his son), because of his selfish nature. I have to wonder, what blessings have I missed out on because of my worrying more about what's in it for me, rather than, is this pleasing to God? David committed murder and tried to cover it up, but God was watching. This is the basic lesson I was refering to. How often in Sunday School, did we hear that God is always watching us? Maybe we were told this to remind us to always behave, or maybe it was to remind us that we are never alone. Either way, there is truth that we need to remember even as adults. What if we constantly asked ourselves if our actions were pleasing to God? What if we could teach ourselves discipline by simply remembering that God is watching all the time? I think we could even take it one step further. God knew David's heart. He knew David's plans and his lust before he ever acted on them. What if we could discipline ourselves by remembering that God is always listening, even when we don't speak? He knows the thoughts we think and the condition of our heart. My point is not to scare people into righteousness. My point is to point out the opportunity we have for the most amazing relationship with a loving Father we could ever imagine. We don't have to hide anything from Him, because we can't. We can focus on the knowledge that He is always with us, no matter what, and grow in a relationship with Him. He wants a relationship of honesty, trust and love. If we are mad at God or something we don't understand, I think he wants us to talk to Him about it. Too often, prayer becomes asking God to bless our meal, heal a loved one, or give us safe travels, and worship is no more than worship songs sang on Sunday morning. James 5:13 says, "Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone anyone cheerful? He should sing praises." If something has caused bitterness toward God, that is a form of suffering. James says that we should be in prayer. I'm not saying that we should spend our praying time yelling at God, but I think we should be honest with God and ask for understanding. He is the "Father." As a parent there are times when I know my kids are angry with me, and I just want to hear them talk to me about why. God doesn't want to be a vending machine. He wants to be in a relationship.
The second part of James 5:13, addresses worpship. If you are cheerful, sing praises. This includes Monday mornings. If we would spend more time aware of God's presents and give Him praise for the good things in our lives, He will continually become a larger part of our lives. Eventually, we will be aware of His presents in the thoughts we were trying to hide before. Much like excercise, if we don't see results we want immediately, we determine it's not worth the effort. It will take time and patience, but I want to be aware of God's presents in both my actions and my thoughts. Even if that means I have start out with baby steps. Take a look at 2 Samuel 12:1-23. See how David's life is changed. Then ask yourself, how could this apply to my life?