We Confess Enough to be Forgiven, But Do We Surrender Enough To Be Changed?

Confession does not guard us from consequences of sin. It is the moment when the consequences come, that we see whether our repentance is real.

That’s where we find King David in 2 Samuel 15. Just a few chapters before he confessed how he’d had an affair with a woman & orchestrated her husband’s death in the battlefield.

He didn’t offer his confession freely. He is called out by Nathan who prophesies that what David did in secret, (his affair with Bathsheba), will now be done to him openly in the sight of all Israel. His family would also turn against him because of what he’d done.

Fast forward to Ch. 15 & we find King David fleeing the palace while his son Absalom leads a conspiracy to overthrow his father! Absalom is angry because his half-brother raped his sister & David, did nothing about it. Now the fulfillment of Nathan’s prophecy rings true as Absalom sets up a tent on the palace roof & has sex with each of David’s concubines in sight of all Israel 😳

As David flees for safety, he doesn’t rise up in anger, he doesn’t speak of the injustice of it all, he simply weeps as he walks. His head is covered & feet are made bare as a sign of mourning.

I wonder what he wondered as he wept?

We’re they tears of regret or repentance? Maybe both? I’ve wept both myself & they are a bitter mix until you come to the place that David did 👉🏽a surrendered place of self resignation where “Thy will be done” is all that matters.

The Ark of the Covenant is with him - it  houses the very Presence of God, & yet in a turn of events, he tells the priest to take it back to the city. When asked why he says this:

“If the Lord sees fit, he will bring me back…but if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him.”

I think that is such a visual of the pinnacle of repentance! David knows what he has done & cannot undo any of it.

He doesn’t selfishly keep the Ark for protection or make any other chess move to levy advantage…he submits fully, with complete trust, to the Lordship of his God & King!

It is easy to confess enough to be forgiven because it lifts the weight from our shoulders, but the weightier question is this:

Will we surrender enough to truly change?

#OneYearBible

May 30th One Year Bible Readings

2 SAMUEL 15:23-16:23

JOHN 18:25-19:22

PSALM 119:113-128

PROVERBS 16:10-11

God’s Affinity for Gardens

I realized today that God has an affinity for gardens:

Sin begins in a garden.

The Savior is betrayed in a garden.

Even though Jesus is buried in a garden, the Seed conquers death, sin, & the serpent by sprouting back to life in that garden!

If Adam hadn’t chosen his will over God’s in the garden, there’d be no need for a Messiah!

Immediately after Adam & Eve sin, they become aware of their nakedness & sow large leaves to cover themselves. God, however, covers them properly, sin AND body.

Up until The Fall, man & beast were vegetarians, but when sin enters, blood is shed for the 1st time in the garden as an animal is sacrificed for their sin & it’s hide is used to cover their bodies.

Yeas later, the Redeemer retreats to another garden, pouring out His heart like water before God while he awaits His betrayer.

When Judas finally arrives, Jesus literally sets him up for a fall by asking, “Who are you looking for?”

He KNOWS they are looking for Him.

He KNOWS Judas will betray Him

 & yet He asks the question SO THAT they might KNOW Him!

They didn’t answer, “You”, but rather, “Jesus, the Nazarene”,  for they didn’t know Him.

Jesus immediately replies with a Name that sends the entire battalion back on their behinds!

 He says,

“I AM he.”👉🏽The Name known to Jews as Jehovah!

Even though they don’t know Him, they fall before God at the very mention of His Name!

They men who come to take Him by force, now

lay helpless in the garden, unable to do anything until He willingly surrenders.

The 1st sacrifice was made in a garden & now the last spotless Lamb, sacrifices Himself in a garden.

He’s later buried in a garden, but only for 3 days, for just like plant seeds, this Seed dies so that many more will sprout after He springs back to life!

I’m not really a garden girl, but I’m fascinated to learn this connection!

The fall of Adam IN the garden brings death for all, the ransom of man AT the garden is offered for all & the ascension of Christ FROM the garden, brings eternal life for anyone who believes!

The 3 greatest expressions of God’s love were given in the garden. The Great Gardener invites us to return to His garden, naked & unafraid. Will you come? #OneYearBible

May 29th One Year Bible Readings

2 SAMUEL 14:1-15:22

JOHN 18:1-24

PSALM 119:97-112

PROVERBS 16:8-9

Unity Without Truth is a Facade

I accidentally misspelled the word hollow with “hallow“ yesterday. I thought it funny because they couldn’t be more opposite. “Hollow” is an empty space, lacking substance, whereas “hallow” means to be dedicated as holy - something QUITE substantial of eternal value!

Jesus tells us HOW we personally become hallow in John 17 & what’s fascinating is that it means to separate.

The word separate has a bad rap, in part I believe, because people use the words “separation” & “division“ synonymously.

Jesus prays, “They do not belong to the world anymore than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word which IS truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world...”

We are sent INTO the world as foreigners separate FROM the world. Truth is what separates our very lives, consecrating them for Holy purposes. Truth separates, but ALSO serves to bring unity when people agree on Truth!

I’m not sure what the Lord is trying to reveal this morning, but it’s been rumbling for a while…unity founded without facts isn’t unity at all. It’s libel to fall when opinion changes or passions wain.

It’s like a facade of unity held up by ramparts of sympathy. It’s a, “I don’t want you to feel excluded, so I am going to soften Truth with sympathy-laden opinion.”

Anything that does not line up with Truth is either opinion or an outright lie.

We are sent into the world to carry the fragrant aroma of Christ’s sacrificial love. It’s not speaking judgemental opinion about matters at hand, but asking The Word what HE has to say about it, & then speaking only His Truth sprinkled with grace & seasoned with love!

It’s quite impossible to live IN the world, separated FROM the world while seeking unity, apart from Truth.

There are so many social media posts I’d like to share, but the Truth within is often smeared with personal opinion.

Y’all, we need not add nor detract from Truth as it requires no ramparts to stand firm.

Our job is to spend time WITH Truth so He might inform our approach & guard our words with His! When Truth leads, eternal unity follows!

#OneYearBible

May 28th One Year Bible Readings

2 SAMUEL 13:1-39

JOHN 17:1-26

PSALM 119:81-96

PROVERBS 16:6-7