TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD PART 2

              TRUE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD PART 2

Now let’s take a look at another hero of faith; the man after God’s heart, David the son of Jesse.

Have you heard of the sure mercies of David? How God entered into a covenant relationship with Him?

³ Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, for the life of your soul is at stake. I am ready to make an everlasting covenant with you, to give you all the unfailing mercies and love that I had for King David {Isaiah 55:3TLB}

I was shocked to see a man with a lot of shortcomings as David listed among the heroes of faith.

If you read your bible, you would have known that this man was not only a murderer but also an adulterer. He killed a man and took his wife. Let’s see the story:

  The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan went to him and said, “There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had many cattle and sheep, ³ while the poor man had only one lamb, which he had bought. He took care of it, and it grew up in his home with his children. He would feed it some of his own food, let it drink from his cup, and hold it in his lap. The lamb was like a daughter to him. 

 ⁴ One day a visitor arrived at the rich man's home. The rich man didn't want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal for his guest.”

⁵ David became very angry at the rich man and said, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this ought to die! ⁶ For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.”

⁷ “You are that man,” Nathan said to David. “And this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul. ⁸ I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much. ⁹ Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands? Why did you do this evil thing? You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife! 

 

 ¹⁰ Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife. ¹¹ I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight. ¹² You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.’”

¹³ “I have sinned against the Lord,” David said.

Nathan replied, “The Lord forgives you; you will not die. ¹⁴ But because you have shown such contempt for the Lord in doing this, your child will die.” ¹⁵ Then Nathan went home.{2samuel 12:1-15 GNT}

God forgave David and pardoned his sins. God how could you pardon such grievous sins? My answer; true relationship. In fact do you read the book of psalms? Do you sing the hymns of David in your church? How could you? Are you not aware that they were written by a murderer and adulterer? The problem we have with God is not our shortcomings, it is the lack of true relationship.

 If God could forgive David, then you can also be forgiven. Just because of true relationship, God even had to enter into a covenant with David. Let’s hear what God said to David:

¹⁹ In a vision long ago you said to your faithful servants,
    “I have given help to a famous soldier;
    I have given the throne to one I chose from the people.
²⁰ I have made my servant David king
    by anointing him with holy oil.
²¹ My strength will always be with him,
    my power will make him strong.
²² His enemies will never succeed against him;
    the wicked will not defeat him.
²³ I will crush his foes
    and kill everyone who hates him.

 
²⁴ I will love him and be loyal to him;
    I will make him always victorious.
²⁵ I will extend his kingdom
    from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates River.
²⁶ He will say to me,
    ‘You are my father and my God;
    you are my protector and savior.’
²⁷ I will make him my first-born son,
    the greatest of all kings.

 
²⁸ I will always keep my promise to him,
    and my covenant with him will last forever.
²⁹ His dynasty will be as permanent as the sky;
    a descendant of his will always be king.

³⁰ “But if his descendants disobey my law
    and do not live according to my commands,
³¹ if they disregard my instructions
    and do not keep my commandments,
³² then I will punish them for their sins;
    I will make them suffer for their wrongs.

 
³³ But I will not stop loving David
    or fail to keep my promise to him.
³⁴ I will not break my covenant with him
    or take back even one promise I made him.

³⁵ “Once and for all I have promised by my holy name:
    I will never lie to David.
³⁶ He will always have descendants,
    and I will watch over his kingdom as long as the sun shines.
³⁷ It will be as permanent as the moon,
    that faithful witness in the sky.”{Psalms 89:19-37 GNT}

Now if God can make such a covenant with David, He can also make one with you. Just be sincere in your relationship with Him. Don’t prove to be self- righteous. Acknowledge your weaknesses and let His strength be perfected in your weaknesses because when you are weak, then you are strong.

⁹ But his answer was: “My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak.” I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses, in order to feel the protection of Christ's power over me. ¹⁰ I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. {2Corinthians 12:9-10 GNT}

Are you aware that the prostitute rehab escaped the destruction that came upon those who didn’t trust God? Note that it is because of her faith that she was listed among the heroes of faith. Not only that she was listed among the faith heroes but also had her name written in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will see that in Matthew chapter 1 verse 5.

If unqualified people of old enjoyed sure mercies, you too who have accepted Christ can enjoy much more unfailing mercies and loving kindness if you can just humble yourself before God believing that He is your righteousness. Acknowledge your shortcomings and allow Him perfect His strength in your weaknesses. He will not stop loving you.Enjoy a faith and love relationship with God today.