Have you ever studied the life of David--the man after God's own heart? As I study his life--his incredible character and virtues--I am ultimately learning more and more about the incredible character of the God I serve.
What I have also learned is that even a man like David--king over all of Israel--can also be susceptible to Satan and to sin. If you know of David's story, that he took another man's wife and then ultimately had that same man killed, you wonder how this could be the same man you were reading about only a few chapters prior. This week it has caused me to pause--to reflect on how easily sin can take hold in my own life. It is a fine warning never to be too comfortable, always to be reminded of my desperate need for the grace of God.
As Beth Moore so aptly puts it, "If that can happen to David, it can happen to anybody."
So what are we to do? Tremble in fear, waiting for some great sin to overtake us?
No! We must guard against it daily. Beth Moore goes on to say that one such way to guard against it is TO LOVE THE WORD OF GOD!
So as I have shared with you before, dear reader, I constantly pray for myself and my children that the word of God would be our magnificent obsession.
These past couple weeks, as summer has gotten underway, I have felt a strong need to share with my children the habit of actually being in the Word.
Most mornings we sit together at the table and pick a verse for the week (one I've already prayed about and chosen!). We open our Bibles, recite the verse and then write it out in some fun way (so that pretty much means I let them use Mom's Sharpies!!!). We don't spend forever--we begin with a brief prayer and talk about the verse, what it might mean or how it might apply to a five year old's universe!
Please don't think I'm such a great mom, here--we are only on week two of this! However, I want to share with you because I believe so strongly we must guard our hearts by being in God's Word. By hearing and reading Truth each and every day. When we make it a priority--when He is THE ALL of our life--we safeguard against the fall we saw in David's life.
This week our verse was Psalm 3:3. For me, it was a reminder that God is my shield--the only reliable place to run. And for my babies, they learned that God is their protector, defender, their all. We made shields out of paper plates, but I pray that we are also building shields around our hearts. The only shield that can withstand the devil's schemes--God's Word.
But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
Psalm 3:3