How could “a man after God’s own heart” fall so hard?

In our Scripture-writing group, we are in the darkest chapter in David’s story: his affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah. How could “a man after God’s own heart” fall so hard and so far? James gives us a rundown of the progression of sin that we all need to be aware of:
He said: “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:14-15). That temptation reaches into that sinful nature that lives in every human being and battles for control of the believer. Yes, even for Christians. Though we are new creations in Christ, that sin nature still exerts a tremendous amount of influence, and this is where the devil throws those powerful enticements in our face. He’s playing on our weakest area, our old, sinful passions.
I believe the reason we have so much trouble with temptation is that we’re doing it all wrong. I grew up, like most of you, hearing the mantra: “Resist temptation and flee from the devil!” But the Bible doesn’t tell us to resist temptation. Paul couldn’t be any clearer: we must flee temptation (2 Tim 2:22). Don’t stand there trying to stare it down and think you’re going to win, because you won’t. Temptation taps into what is within us.
The Greek word Paul uses for flee means to run away from, elude, to escape. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says: “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape” (RSV). When temptation comes, God provides a way out, so I don’t have to stand with my fists clenched, trying to face it down. I can take the escape route and run—not meander—from the thing that stirs those sinful desires within me. That may mean shutting off the computer or the television, walking out of the bar, finding other people to associate with it, or not going someplace where I know temptation lives (like the rooftop of your palace that overlooks Bathsheba’s bathing area, David. God makes the way of escape, but I must take it. And not leave a forwarding address.
Being tempted isn’t a sin, but standing around the fire with it is a dumb thing to do. Beloved, don’t let sin burn you – run away, straight into the arms of Jesus, and let Him do the fighting. Remember, He’s already won the war.

My Name is . . .

In the days before “Children’s Church,” a boy sat with his family listening, well, sort of, to the preacher. The message from Exodus 3 was about obedience, and how God called Moses by name out of the bush (v. 4). The only part that caught his attention was when the preacher said, “God called me by name too when He saved me and told me to preach.” After the service, the boy approached the preacher and asked, “God knows you by name? Dude, what did you do?” “What do you mean, ‘What did I do?’” the preacher asked. The boy replied, “All the teachers in my school know my name cause I’m always in trouble. If God knows your name, you must have done something really bad!”
God knows my name and your name, too, but not because of anything we have done, good or bad. It is because of His great love. One of the most precious verses to me is Isaiah 43:1: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name . . .” My name was a point of ridicule and embarrassment when I was growing up: Dorcas Beegle. I heard “Dorky, Dorcas the beagle dog!” accompanied by barking and howling every single day. That’s why most of you know me as Beth, from my middle name, Elizabeth. Even that was not safe, as my brothers called me “Dorcas the Lizard.”
But God doesn’t call me Beth or Dorcas or any of those. One morning I came across Revelation 2:17: “To him who overcomes, I will give . . . a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.” “Lord,” I said, “I wish I could know what my new name is, cause I hate this one.” Later, as I was reading in Mark 5, I read verse 34, “[Jesus] said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.’” I heard in my heart, “That’s your name. You are Daughter.” If I were free to elaborate on my past, you would understand why that brought me to tears.
The last part of Isaiah 43:1 expresses why God knows you and me by name. He said, “You are mine.” Beloved, if you are in Christ, you are God’s. He has a special name for you that speaks of how much He loves you. I pray that means as much to you as it does to me.
My name from God is Daughter because I am His.

Little Christs

I stood in line at the convenience store and glanced over at a young man standing by a rack of magazines. Provocative magazines with barely dressed women on the cover. Then I looked at his t-shirt emblazoned with the name and logo of a church youth group – “Follow me to Jesus.” “Well,” I thought, “I’m not so sure we would find Jesus where you’re looking.” I thought about how his actions denied his profession – then I thought about my own.
If I claim to have a relationship with Jesus, then where is the peace He promised when I get so easily overwhelmed and frustrated? Where is the Joy He offers when I go down, down, down into that pit of discouragement and defeat? Where is the Spirit’s self-control when I am drawn to my own sinful desires? And more importantly, what am I saying about my Lord when others see these things in me?
Why should your behavior matter? Jesus declared, “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt 5:16). Because the world is watching.
Whether we intend to or not, you and I represent Christ everywhere we go. In fact, the word “Christian” means “little Christ.” We may not wear a “Jesus” t-shirt every day, but if we have claimed to be a Christian, Jesus’ name is written on our lives. And while I may be able to take off the t-shirt, I can’t shrug off the responsibility of the name of Jesus. A king may be able to set aside his crown and walk around unrecognized and unhindered by his title, but a Christian cannot. We carry the person of Christ with us at all times, in all places, every moment of the day. That means I represent Christ in my church, at my job, in the doctor’s waiting room, and in the grocery store. That means you represent Christ in your home, at your school, in a restaurant, and in traffic. The world is judging Jesus by our actions – and (shudder) our words. What do they need to see? What do they need to hear? Holiness, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and love (Col. 3:12-14). Does your life line up? If your toes are sore, know that mine are throbbing right now.
Clearly, wearing a Jesus t-shirt doesn’t make you a good witness for Christ. But wearing Jesus does. Beloved, what are you going to put on today to show the world you are a “little Christ?”

Heart’s Desire

There is a sticky note above my desk that says, “How do I know that I am saved?” And the answer is written below it: “By the desires of your heart.” David wrote: “Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Ps 37:4). Many have latched onto that verse as a guarantee, claiming that God will hand them everything their heart desires. I love this verse too, but I don’t read it in the same way.
Just like Paul in Romans 7, sin is often my heart’s desire. It is like an old friend who knows to use the “back entrance” to my heart because that door is never locked. And sin has access to my heart because I haven’t lost my desire for it. I know the only way to eradicate sin is to desire God more than I desire that sin. It is my desire that directs my actions and behaviors and my life.
James said it like this: Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. After desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (1:14-15). So the root of my sin problem is a deeply-rooted desire problem. There is much work to do in my heart, where my desires grow.
But is it possible for me to change my desires? Yes and no. Yes, because what I expose myself to feeds my desires. Music, T.V., movies, books, magazines, the internet, conversations, and, yes, even relationships. And no because God has to do a root-level work in me to redirect the desires of my heart. Transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit. My part is to seek it, to ask for it, and to cooperate with Him. Which might just mean locking that back door and handing Him the key.
But wait – I’m going to correct myself. I said that the only way to eradicate sin is to desire God more than I desire sin. That’s not quite right. Truly, the only way to eradicate sin is to desire God instead of desiring sin. It’s not a competition between who gets the greater portion of my heart. It is full surrender.
That’s the key: give your heart, your whole heart, to God. Don’t pick and choose what He gets and what you keep. Psalm 37:4 isn’t a promise for all your little heart desires. It is a promise that if you desire the Lord with all your heart, He will give you your heart’s desire. Himself. Beloved, what could be better than that?

God, Do You Ever Get Tired of Me?

Which is harder to deal with – a big storm in your life or lots of ongoing frustrations? On the Sea of Galilee, fishermen are constantly on guard for storms. A big storm raging on the lake can overwhelm the strongest fishermen and take out a whole fleet of boats. But equally destructive are the constant waves that are driven across the sea’s surface by the ever-present wind, slap, slap, slapping the side of the boat. You would think they are not as destructive as the storm, but the constant impact will wear away the boat’s hull and can eventually bring the boat down.
Sometimes life hits us with an unexpected crisis – the sudden death of a loved one, a health crisis, a job loss, a betrayal – we are overwhelmed and shell-shocked. We need the support of our friends and family. We need prayer. We need help. And thankfully the Body of Christ meets those needs. I can’t imagine where I would be without my church family and Christian friends. But for many of us, the damage comes from a continual struggle, that long-term problem that slap, slap, slaps us day after day after day. The wayward child, difficult relationships, an ongoing health issue, the juggle of too many responsibilities, financial struggles, or a frustrating work situation. We still need support and prayer and help, but we’re hesitant to keep asking – or maybe just too weary to talk about it anymore. We feel like we’re just a cumbersome weight. Oh, I know this one well.
But hear this: “The Lord will not grow tired or weary . . .” (Is 40:28). Go back and read that again, slowly. This is our ever-faithful, never worn-down God. His patience never wears thin. He never sighs when we approach His throne of grace with our hands full of needs. He doesn’t dodge us because He’s tired of hearing our woes. I have often come to him over an issue I’ve struggled with for many years, saying, “Father, I know You’ve heard this before . . .” and I sense Him saying, “Yes, but I don’t mind if you tell me again.”
The Bible tells us to “cast all your cares on the Lord because He cares for you” (1 Pet 5:7). He will bear the weight of your burdens – and you. What concerns you, Beloved, concerns God because He loves you. He cares about the big storms, and He cares about the constant daily battles. Because He cares about you. If you’re like me, that’s very good news.

Spoils of War

In Numbers 31, the Israelite army faced off against the Midianites, who had long been a thorn in their side. Israel completely routed their enemy and carried off the people, livestock, treasures, and weaponry. This was a common practice in the ancient Near East and was known as “the plunder.” This was not merely to loot their enemies; it had a much greater purpose: to announce that their battle campaign was successful. You may have also heard it called “the spoils of war.”
The victorious army would march through the city parading the plunder so show their triumph. Their human captives would be forced to walk in shame as prisoners. In this account, the Israelites took their spoils to Moses and Phinehas, the high priest, and presented it all for distribution. It was an impressive amount of stuff: sheep, cattle, donkeys, people, gold jewelry, and more. Yes, it was a very successful battle.
But what proved their victory even more than the loot is seen in verse 49: “Your servants have counted the soldiers under our command, and not one is missing.” Even more than the bountiful spoils they carried away, the greatest evidence by far was that every man in the Israelite army returned home.
What does that mean for us today? Christians are in a fierce spiritual battle with a formidable foe – the devil himself. Though we fight every day, the victory has already been secured by Jesus through His death and resurrection. Paul reminds us that “We are more than conquerors” through Christ (Rom 8:37).
So what, then, are our spoils of war?
Check it out: Holiness. Adoption as children of God. Grace. Redemption. Forgiveness. (Eph 1:4-8) Wisdom, Revelation, Knowledge of God, Hope. Power. (Eph 1:17-20). Strength. The Holy Spirit. (Eph 3:16). Encouragement. Unity. Love. Complete understanding. Spiritual discernment. (Col 2:2-4). That’s a lot. And it is all for eternity and for the here and now. This is not just plunder, fellow warrior; this is our inheritance in Christ Jesus.
And if that were not enough to prove that we belong to the winning side, check out the Lord’s own words in John 14:2-3: “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.”
The greatest sign of victory is that we will all make it home.
The battles are hard, Beloved, but Christ has already won the war.

And it Came to Pass . . .

“So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made” (Gen 8:6).
When my son was a baby, a friend gave me some great advice: “Remember, the Bible says, ‘It came to pass,’ not it came to stay.” She meant that those long sleepless nights will eventually pass, and those babies will sleep through the night. Teething and colic eventually pass. So will temper tantrums, meltdowns, and questionable choices in hairstyles, clothing, and celebrity fandom. Don’t get bogged down in the difficult days; they will pass soon enough. It’s good parenting (and grandparenting) advice, but it’s also good life advice.
Just like all those stages of our children’s lives, we will all face difficult moments, days, and seasons. It’s important to remind ourselves that those days come and go – they are not forever. In those times, I look back at Noah’s story and remember that after many, many days aboard the ark, it came to pass that the waters began to recede and Noah opened the window to let out the dove and let in the fresh air and sunshine. After a full year, he and all aboard stepped out on dry land. My troubles will pass, and so will yours.
Another way to look at this is that the days of our lives come to pass not to stay, and the opportunities before us and the people around us are also not permanent. I have many regrets over things I knew the Lord wanted me to do that I thought I could get around to later. But later never came, and the window closed. I just hit the milestone birthday that makes me a bona fide senior citizen. The years have taught me, as it has so many of us, that things change, sometimes in a shocking moment, and sometimes slowly, almost imperceptibly. Go back through some old photos, and you’ll see what I mean. Family, friendships, jobs, health – it all passes.
Now, I’m not one to give advice, mostly because I’ve stumbled too many times to think myself wise. But I’m going to go out on that limb to say, Don’t fret; not the sleepless nights of parenthood, nor the difficult days of life. It does not seem so in the middle of it all, but they will pass. And don’t waste the opportunities God gives you, nor time with the people you love. Life on this earth comes to pass, not to stay. Make every minute count, Beloved.

Get a Wider Perspective

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).
The image on my GPS only showed the next several hundred yards in front of me. But I wanted to see my present location in relation to my destination – a bigger picture, so I zoomed in on the map for a wider perspective of the full route. If only life were that simple. You and I live in the moment, in the hours of our days, looking at our weekly schedules and our monthly calendars, planning for college and retirement, thinking we’re wise in our future forecasts. But life isn’t just about our plans for the here and now. Life – real life – is eternal, and the greatest lesson I’ve learned is to have an eternal perspective in all things.
I’m learning to evaluate every situation and circumstance and consider what kind of impact it will have in eternity. Yes, this life hands us some very hard and painful things. Paul wrote: “Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (v.17). Though they often do not feel “light and momentary,” in the reality of eternity, they are just one tick on the clock of forever.
This eternal perspective affects my desires too. When I start to feel the pinch of envy, I remember that Jesus is preparing an eternal place for me that the world’s finest custom-built home can never match. I will wear a robe of righteousness forever that no fashion designer could ever create. I will have a perfect body that doesn’t require hours in a gym. Even the events of this world don’t seem so overwhelming when viewed in the light of eternity.
When we have a “bigger picture” of life that culminates in eternity, we understand the journey we are on and the route before us. We can traverse twisting roads, sharp turns, long stretches, and detours with the assurance that none of these will stop us from reaching our final destination – heaven and the presence of God forever. Beloved, I encourage you to widen the view before you and trust the One who is leading you. This life, with all its heartache and struggle, is part of the journey to your perfect eternal destiny. Let’s travel on together with our hearts set on forever.

Get Into the Bible – All the Way In

We’ve heard it said that you are either going into a life storm, in the middle of it, or coming out – the point being, storms, trials, struggles, and difficulties are inevitable. If you stick your head under a rock and try to hide from them, a bug is gonna crawl up your nose.
When I have difficult days – and weeks and months and years – I go to the place I can always find comfort and help. I go to the Word of God. You have probably heard me say that the Bible is light and life to me and nourishment to my soul. Even those descriptions come right out of the Scriptures (see Psalm 119:105, Deuteronomy 32:46, 47, and Isaiah 55:2,3). I can find whatever I need between Genesis and Revelation.
I borrow David’s peace, Deborah’s courage, Jeremiah’s hope, Abraham’s faith, Peter’s confession, Paul’s transformation, Mary’s surrender, Samson’s strength, and John’s vision. I take their words and make them my own. I “rewrite” the Scriptures – not to change the unchangeable words of God, but to put myself in them and know that the promises of God are as real to me today as they were to these saints (and sinners). Today I need to remember that the struggles of my life cannot affect God’s love for me, so I’m adopting Romans 8:38-39 and making it personal.
“For I am convinced that neither hard-headed people nor someone else’s anger, neither the disrespect of others nor rejection, neither unpaid bills nor my messy house, neither being overwhelmed nor lonely, physical pain nor a heavy heart, disappointment nor depression, the consequences of my foolish decisions nor my weight will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus my Lord.” Yours will look different from mine, but the principle is the same: nothing, not one thing, can come between us and our Father’s love. I need to know that – I’ll bet you do too.
God’s Word is meant to touch every part of your life. Even the parts that don’t look so godly. They’re meant to meet you right where you are, whether that’s on the mountaintop or under a rock. This is not just David’s God or Paul’s God or Mary’s God. This is your God, Beloved. Take His Word and put your life right in the middle of it. Listen to the One who said, “Remain in Me and [let] My words remain in you” (John 15:7).

All Means All.

Legend has it that British author and thinker G.K. Chesterton was once invited by a London newspaper to offer his opinion on what was wrong with the world. He sent a brief letter in reply:
Dear Sirs,
I am.
Sincerely yours,
G.K. Chesterton
(source unknown)

It’s quite possible that Chesterton had been reading Paul’s letter to the Romans, his great theological opus from almost a lifetime of walking with Christ. In chapter 3, he laid the human condition out clearly, stating: “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23).
He also wrote:
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away . . .” (Rom 3:10-12a)
All means all. It means Adam and Eve and Moses and David and Mary and Paul and Billy Graham and you and me. And G.K. Chesterton. We are all part and parcel of what is wrong with the world.
The root of the problem is the presence of evil. The world is awash with it; it permeates everything, including us. James rightly places the heart of the problem, though, within man: “. . . each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desires . . .” (Ja 1:14). We have evil desires that are reaching out for the evil the world extends to us. Oh, that we would understand that we are all sinners in need of a Savior.
That is the beauty of Paul’s message. After he pronounces the conviction of sin, he gives us God’s merciful response: “. . . all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). Did you see the repeated word from verses 10-12? All. All are justified through Christ. All are redeemed by God’s grace. All means all.
Every sinner who comes to Jesus is pardoned and set free from the penalty and power of sin. “The death He died, He died to sin once for all” (Rom 6:10). “He has appeared once for all . . . to do away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Heb 9:26). There it is again. All.
In case you’re not catching the theme. All means all.
We are all the problem. We are all sinners. We are all drawn to evil. We are all condemned. But Christ came to save us all from all our sins. All means all, Beloved. Because all means Jesus.