"David noticed that his servants were whispering amoung themselves and he realised that his child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes" they replied "he is dead". Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions, and changed his clothes, he went to the house of the Lord and worshipped." 2Samuel 12:19-20
David had just gone through a deep valley. He was covered in "spiritual filth". He had hurt God and ended up paying dearly for it. Then, the lowest point of his experience happened and he lost his son. He could have sunk deeper into depression snd mourned some more, but instead he got up, got dressed and went to worship God.
As I read this passage, I wondered why, at the lowest point of this whole mess did he choose to worship. Then I figured this-David had nowhere to go but up! The Lord had already publically rebuked him in front of the entire nation(v 12). He had taken his newborn son. David was defeated and humiliated. But after his son had died, he realised that it was over. Maybe the sun had not yet emerged from the clouds, but the storm had ceased. Things were clearing up. He had been forgiven. He had made it through the trials, shaken, but still in tact.
Often, we become victims of our own senseless acts, like David was. We try and rise above God and he strikes us down. But the same hand that strikes us down raises us up again. His mercy endures forever, and his anger is temporary. He deals with us according to our sins, but forgives us according to His love. You may have been struck down, due to your own foolishness, or that of another, but no matter why, God will raise you up again. He will cause you to rise, bathe, dress and worship in his house, in his presense, in the name of forgiveness and unending mercy.
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I agree wonderful reminders of what sin can do to us. And it is wonderful to know that even though we may fall down, we can get back up and go to God again and worship.
