Day 4

GETTING THE EMPHASIS RIGHT

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Phil. 4:6

There is one text in the New Testament which has always been the anchor for me in moments of tragedy, crisis or perplexity. Romans 8:28 is superbly confident and rich in meaning for one who serves God.

When we look beyond our ambitions for this life to contemplate eternity with God then our attitudes cannot help but change. Psalm 37 shows the result of this change in David. It is amazing in its conviction and demonstrates clearly how he was no longer awed by adversity or troubled by the evil of others. The Bible shows us clearly in the glimpses we have of David's life how his emphasis was not on personal aggrandisement but on developing his relationship with God. Compare 1 Sam. 15:30 and 2 Sam. 12:13. David's words reveal where he discovered stability and security in a world which lacks both. He retained this peace to the end of his life despite the trouble and anguish which were the consequences of his sins. Look at 2 Sam. 24:10,25.

God could not and would not protect David from the results of his sin in killing Uriah as he had protected him in his life as a fugitive and in his early years as king. If God did not intervene then is it still true that all things worked together for David's good or did the Devil have a free hand?

At times David seemed to be swept along by intrigue unable to act. He seems to have become demoralised by his sin. Compare Paul's reaction to his past sins with David's Phil. 3:12-14. How should we relate to our sinful past?