What Did He Just Say?!

Friday 1/17/2014 - Genesis, Psalms, Joshua 17

One of the things that has bothered me about David's Psalms is that he often talks about God testing him and finding nothing false in him.  He speaks of his righteousness and talks like he never did anything wrong.

In Today's reading David makes this statement, "Let my judgment come forth from Your presence... You have tried my heart... You have tested me and You find nothing..."

I could not begin to pray that prayer.  I know my history.  I'm aware of my sin.  If God were to try my heart I would be found lacking.  My life deserves the fire of hell and I'm aware of it.  How can David get away with talk like this?  David.  The guy who committed adultery and then compounded it with murder.

How could this same guy talk like that?  Well, it occurred to me that David wrote these Prayers before his moral failure and I recall some pretty dark prayers he prayed after.  Still, my instinct is to not cut him very much slack.  It wasn't like he was perfect.

Then I realized that for all my time in the faith I still struggle with a performance mentality.  Like God should love those who don't sin as much more than those that do.  I often think that God should use those who sin less to accomplish more for His Kingdom.  But I read in the early chapters of Genesis about a man named Enoch, not too many generations from Adam and Eve.  Enoch's life story takes up about two or three sentences.  Enoch walked with God and then he was no more...

Enoch was one of the few, the very few, in the Bible who has no record of sin.  Do you know what the Bible says he accomplished for the Kingdom or how mightily God used him?  Nothing.  But Gideon, David, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Peter, all these God used.  And all these sinned.

I was reminded that our usefulness to God is not based on our performance but on our persistence.  God didn't use David, Abraham or Noah because THEY were perfect.  He used them because HE is perfect.  Say it another way.  God used each of them because God used each of them.  He is God.  He can use who He wants, when He wants for the reasons He wants.  Not because of them, but because of Himself.

So the next time you are feeling like a failure or like you've blown it again.  Remember that God is using you and will use you and can use you not because of you, but because He has chosen you.  That's what makes you special - His call on your life, not your life.

I'm free to make mistakes because He chose me not based on my merit but on His mercy.  So I will be persistent and let Him be perfect.