"Not Standing Alone"

"My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him." (Psalms 89:28)
Yesterday morning Pastor Bruce shared on David's sin with Bathsheba. It was a very intense message that touched on some pretty heavy issues regarding why we sin, how to avoid sin, and how we try to cover sin up. One thing that he said really struck my heart, because it was something that God had put upon my heart earlier in the week. It was regarding the end of 2 Samuel 11:27, where it says, "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." Bruce looked up after reading his, and said, "It displeased God, but it did not surprise God." It is a lot like that verse from Genesis 6:6, which many misrepresent when they try and teach about it, because it says, "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." I have taught on this before, and I have shared that teaching in this blog several years ago; but to understand where God was coming from, we need only to compared John 3:16 to both of these scriptures that deal with God's heavy heart; because that's what is being said, God's heart was grieved, not because was done He did not already know would happen, but because it actually happened, and when it happens, the result is always death. God hates death as much as He hates sin; you can see that in the account of the Flood, and how he says over and over, "And all flesh died"; "All in whose nostrils was the breath of life"; "And every living substance was destroyed"; "they were all destroyed from the face of the earth." It is pretty plain to see that God was not happy that He had to destroy, not just mankind, but all the fury little animals also; all those animals that Adam gave names to, some of which were lost forever; but that's a topic for another debate. There are several things we need to understand about David's sin with Bathsheba; the most important thing is that David sinned against God; first and foremost, what David did, he did knowing full well that God would be displeased with him for doing it. That's the part we need to take to heart, because we do the same exact thing! Secondly, God always provides a way of escape; in David's case, it was one of the messengers saying, "Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" You know how this works, I know that you do; God puts up a fence or provides a door of escape, and we look for a way to climb the fence or we run from that door instead of running through it. Thirdly, we need to own up to our sins! That's the part of David heart which God connected with, that when it came right down to it, David owned up to his sins. You know, you cannot give something away that you do not own. And before God can take your sins away, we need have ownership. That's pretty much how it works! Oh, and yes, that is a summary of what the verse above represents...
"Oh, what a joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what a joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude" (Psalms 32:1-7) NLT