Friday, July 12, 2013

Who or what?

My homework has been a little stressful for me this week.  The workload is heavy, but the content this week was not in agreement with my personal beliefs so it seemed even heavier.  Tonight I took some time to turn to my Beth Moore 90 day study of David that I got for Christmas year before last.  Hey, I said it was a 90 day study; not that it had to be done in 90 days!  LOL!  I know that a lot of people go to the Psalms for comfort, and David wrote many of them, but I like to go straight to Samuel and revisit the trials of David.  After all, if anybody can relate to feeling the pressure, I'm sure David can.  Being chased through the wilderness by a jealous king will definitely put some pressure on you!  I guess that's why David is my favorite man of the Bible.  He was very real.  His rise to the top wasn't easy.  He made his fair share of mistakes, but he always had a heart for God. 

The topic of the study today was the devastation David felt when, in the midst of a celebration, God struck Uzzah dead.   David was celebrating because he was returning the Ark to the land of David.  Ussah was struck dead when he reached out to steady the ark, which wasn't being carried in the way that God had instructed the Isrealites to carry it.  David became angry at God for killing Uzzah and left the ark at the home of Obed-Edom.  He felt that the ark would never be able to return to the land of David.  See, even great men of the Bible like David had times when they were angry at God.  If you want to find out the rest of the story, read 2 Samuel chapter 6.

Beth talked about how unexpected tragedy is always hard to deal with, but that it is even more difficult in the midst of what should be a celebration.  She gave examples of people left standing at the alter or joyful parents who experience a miscarriage.  Then, she goes on to say, "In times like these, we find out whether we have based our faith on who God is or on what He does."  Wow!  I have heard something similar before, but in the context of David and the examples she gave, it really struck home.   My week has been difficult, but it has been, thankfully, free of tragedy.  I did take a moment, however, to reflect back on my life and the personal tragedies that I have experienced. I can definitely see that as my faith has grown I have been able to better deal with the tragedies.  I have a long way to go, but I do know that my faith is based on who God is and not what he does or what I think he doesn't do in my life.  So, tonight, I have a few more things to be thankful for when I lay my head on the pillow.  I hope you do too!

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