A young teen who was constantly getting into trouble always apologized when his parents confronted him. No matter how much he hurt his parents with his previous wrong-doing, he would soon turn around and d something else wrong - knowing he would be forgiven.
Finally, his dad took him out to the garage for a talk. Dad picked up a hammer and pounded a nail into the garage wall. Then he gave his son the hammer and told him to pull out the nail.
The boy shrugged, grabbed the hammer, and yanked out the nail.
"That's like forgiveness, Son. When you do something wrong, it's like pounding in a nail. Forgiveness is when you pull the nail out."
"Okay, I get it," said the boy.
"Now take the hammer and pull out the nail hole," his dad replied.
"That's impossible!" the boy said. "I can't pull it out."
As this story illustrates and King David's life proves, sin carries consequences. Even though David was forgiven, his adultery and murder left scars and led to family problems. This sobering truth can serve as a warning for our lives. The best way to avoid the lingering damage of sin is to live a life of obedience to God.
A Prayer: Thank You for being slow to anger and filled with compassion. May I not presume upon Your mercy by assuming there will be no consequences for my sin. Help me to confess and then to sin no more. Amen.
Our sins can be forgiven and washed away, but their consequences are ours to pay.
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2 Samuel 12:1-14
The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."
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Father in heaven, I have sinned against You... please forgive me... I would like to be a blessing to anyone else... Please, don't hurt anyone of them because of me... Lord, here is my prayer...
I swear, that I will not commit in any adultery anymore, before marriage... Lord, but, please help me go through all these... I had over the boundaries, please wash away my sins... that I could serve you better with holiness in me...
Holy Spirit, please do remind me all the time... as a blessing but not a curse...
Everyone come to this world as a straighten wire...
However, because of sin, we all curved, benched...
No matter how much effort we do, still, there is marks, showing that it wasn't straight... wasn't perfect...
With Jesus' precious blood, here we are being washed clean, have the record of holy before you...
Father Lord, Please, help me go through all these, with strength given by You alone...
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