And
David said to God, "Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered?
I am the one who has sinned and done evil indeed; but these sheep, what have
they done? Let Your hand, I pray, O Lord my God, be against me and my father's
house, but not against Your people that they should be plagued." 1 Chronicles 21:17
Times of
trials and sufferings not only reveal a persons true character, but also
present opportunities for significant personal lessons. Just recently, I had an event in my
life when I truly heard the voice of God. It was not audible, but in my heart and
mind, He clearly spoke. I had just sat down for my weekly Light Life Bible
Study and I began to have the most severe pain in my stomach. It was so painful
that my first response to
this painful spiritual bout was panic; I thought to myself I could will myself through
this. After the pain intensifies ,I knew I could not do this on my own
strength, I can't fight. But when we ask God for help and seek His power, then
we experience victory. I
prayed for God’s wisdom, comfort, healing, and guidance and in His mercy He
clearly spoke to me. I was able to drive myself to the ER and get help.
“Jesus also
had Satan whisper in His ear, but because of His close, personal relationship
with the Father, He withstood the lies. Satan tempted Him three times and every
time, Jesus used the Word of God against him. After the third temptation, Satan
knew he could not beat Jesus, so … the devil left Him, and behold, angels
came and ministered to Him.” Matthew 4:1-11
Following a
major victory over the Philistines, King David made a major mistake. The king
chose to listen to Satan, stopped trusting God for the defense of his nation,
and undertook a census.
David's willingness to take responsibility for his
foolish action demonstrated his depth of character. He repented and accepted
punishment from the hand of God, trusting in the grace of God. Even so, David's
error snuffed out the lives of seventy thousand Israelites. When Christians
mess up or have personal difficulties panic
We try to hide our sufferings, or
run from God. But David admitted his failure and repented. Although he faced
many difficulties, David worked to restore his relationship with God and did
whatever he could to minimize the consequences of his failure in the lives of
others.
God Bless You
and This Ministry
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