Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 21:2, So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’ And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
If we examine the life of David closely, we will see just how amazing God’s grace is in our lives. Here is the “man after God’s own heart”, on the run, as God has allowed it, and one of the first things he does is lie to the man of God, in God’s house. He made the right decision in that his first destination was the house of the LORD, but then he made an unwise decision that would later cost the man who helped him his life (1 Samuel 22). It was obvious from his conversation with Ahimelech that the priest knew nothing of the conflict that existed between King Saul and David. His appearance seemed to raise questions in Ahimelech’s mind, as we see him inquire about David’s solo travels. It would have been unusual for David to travel by himself, especially in service to the king. David’s choice to lie, rather than be honest with the man of God, who could have gone to the LORD on his behalf, demonstrated David’s lack of faith and fear at this moment. However, before we criticize David, many of us would have to admit that we would not have done any better. How often have we resorted to little white lies (which, by the way, are still lies) in order to avoid the consequence of certain situations, or lied in order to avoid admitting responsibility for our actions or failed decisions? The Lord may allow us, at times, to find ourselves in situations where telling the truth may be very difficult. When we find ourselves in these situations, our tendency to want to control the outcome, and not trust God with the it, can lead us down that path that begins with a little white lie, but then will require more lies to cover up the first one. As Christians, we must remember what we are told in Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him”. The bottom line is that trying times and difficult circumstances can tempt us to stray from being honest or cause us to live, for the moment, as that world lives, without giving much thought to what the consequences of our dishonesty will be. Hebrews 11:6 clearly states, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” In spite of David wavering in his faith, God did not see him any less a man after God’s own heart because He knew David’s heart and knew that this was not David’s norm in his relationship with the LORD. The truth of the matter is that not one of us will walk perfectly with the LORD. Many of us truly have a desire to walk before Him in righteousness, but these are the moments when we are reminded that it is only by Jesus righteousness that we will ever be accepted by the Father, who is holy and perfect. It is moments like these that make us realize how much we need Jesus, His love, His grace, and His forgiveness. In spite of David’s actions at that moment, it was not who David normally was as a man of God. This was the exception and not the rule. God saw beyond David’s fear, and momentary lack of trust, and never forsook him. Although God has recorded David’s weaknesses for us to see throughout his life, this is not about David. David’s life is about who God was in his life and who He is in ours. We must do all we can to not falter in our faith and walk with Jesus, but in those moments when we do, let us not measure God’s faithfulness to us by our unfaithfulness to Him. God is God, no matter what, and nothing will separate us from His love, as we are told in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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