Week 3
Day 1
The Shame of Adultery
Read: 2 Samuel 11, Psalm 103:10-11
SOAP: Psalm 103:10-11
He does not deal with us as our sins deserve;
he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve.
For as the skies are high above the earth,
so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers.
Being a follower of Christ does not mean we are immune to sin. We see this in the life of David. His relationship with Bathsheba was a major moral failing. One sin led to another and another until a good man was murdered to cover David’s sin. Despite all of this, David was still considered a man after God’s own heart. Nothing is too hard for God to forgive and redeem.
While there are big earthly consequences to sin, not all is lost. When we say God forgives every sin, this includes the sin of unfaithfulness. He continues to love His children deeply despite any dark hole we may fall into. When shame threatens to overwhelm us, we can remember and rest in this truth: He does not treat us as our sins deserve.
As fellow brothers and sisters in Christ we must not shun those who fall, but come alongside them, confirm that they messed up badly, but then help them get back on the path of righteousness. When we are overwhelmed with the grace we have received in our own lives, we are able to show overwhelming grace and mercy to others.
Lord, I may look at my sins and think they are too big to be forgiven. Remind me of the story of David and how the many sins of one man could be forgiven, and his life restored, because You are a God of grace and mercy and power. In Jesus’ name, amen.