Our God, who chose David to be king, was not surprised at David’s brokenness. He knew David would be an imperfect, sinful person. He was displeased but knew David’s heart.

When I read 2 Samuel 11 in its entirety, the aspect of the story that is most offensive to me is the apathy David displays. He does not seem brokenhearted about his failures. There seems to be no disruption within his soul as he continues to make these selfish, inconsiderate, destructive choices. We have not yet seen any remorse or consideration of others in him. 

The reason this disturbs me is the familiar way my heart can grow cold to the needs of others...

We each have a unique memory of the first time we intentionally lied, the moment we felt the heat rise within us, the nerves bouncing within us, the fear of what would occur the moment we got caught. For some of us, this feeling never truly goes away, but, for others, this is something we have pushed down and ignored in an effort to be able to keep hiding and excusing our behavior. Over time, we become experts at deceiving others and even deceiving ourselves...

As we continue the story of David meeting Bathsheba, we can see he was also behaving in a similar, spoiled sort of arrogance. He saw something, expected it to be his, and then took full advantage of the situation...

Whatever we want, we want it now. Our lives get busy, hurried, and stressful, and something we desire swiftly becomes a need in our minds. The evidence is everywhere: from Amazon to DoorDash. I include myself in this culture issue because I frequently use these convenient ways of getting what I want...

The battle lines were tense with anticipation. Blood, sweat, and angst drenched the bodies and minds of the soldiers awaiting the next phase of war. Descending from the distant Philistine camp on the other side of the valley was a man who was head and shoulders above the rest. He glistened in the sun, his bronze helmet and armor heavy with intimidation. The massive warrior stood to shout at the ranks of Israel who trembled  with fear...

God’s People, including the people of Israel and all of those who have followed God and Jesus, have something in common: not one of them earned being among God’s people. None of the people designated as God’s People were given this title due to an accomplishment. Those who belong to God are His because they chose to accept their invitation to be a part of what God is doing in our world. David is no exception.

Week 1 - He Longs for Us to Know Who We Are 

Day 1: We Are His People

If you have ever picked up a book on microbiology, physics, or psychology, you have likely noticed that knowing everything about any one aspect of the universe is unattainable. Even the most educated people use others’ research and additional resources to get the information they need to do their jobs. When we remember the complexities of the nature of the world, it helps us remember: we humans are very limited creatures. 

We are limited by what we can physically handle, what we choose to explore, and what we are able to comprehend. The heart of God is no exception. He is far more complex than we could ever imagine, and His heart is expressed to us in ways we may never quite grasp. We can take hold of some of the truths, convince ourselves we have a handle on Him, but the more we discover, the more we realize we are unable to completely understand Him. As we seek to discover the heart of God, it is without question we must realize that we will only be able to scratch the surface, the tip of the iceberg so to speak, of the vastness of our God.