The Ripple Effects

Recognizing the consequences of sin should lead us to put it to death in our own lives.   #daybydaylw   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   As Alistair Begg has said, “Once you throw a stone into water, you can retrieve the stone, but you cannot stop the ripple effect of the stone.” So it is with consequences. Those ripple effects began in chapter 12 and carry on all the way to chapter 20. When Nathan confronted David, and spoke the words of God, Nathan told David, “Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house.” This is one of the ripples. What we are seeing in the next 7 chapters of 2 Samuel is the fulfillment of that word. God is faithful to His word. I don’t think any of us are shocked that turmoil, lack of trust, conflict arises because of David’s particular sin. But we need to recognize at this point what God has said. He doesn’t say tough times will come. He doesn’t say it will be slightly more difficult, but you can make it. He says the “sword shall never depart from your house.” The sword represents war, immense, sharp pain, conflict and betrayal. This is what awaits David and his house, and it will come from within his own house. These are the severe consequences that David must face due to his sin, and it should serve as a warning to us to put our own sin to death by means of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.