If you haven’t read part one of this series yet, click here so you can get the scope of the story in full context.
We all know the story. Instead of going out to battle as kings were meant to, (1 Samuel 11:1) King David refrained from the battleground to stay in Jerusalem. A bathing beauty captured his eyes, and instead of squelching his flesh, he succumbed to it and allowed lust to drink away at his soul. He had to have this woman. The thoughts ferociously enveloped his actions until he found himself not only sleeping with the woman he laid his eyes upon but murdering her own husband as well. Once he was confronted by his sin through the prophet Nathan, David’s remorse evolved into a state of brokenness before the Lord.
Did God glory in David’s sin? Absolutely not! In fact, God vehemently said, “Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord to do evil in His sight?” (2 Samuel 12:9) He punished David for his sin by allowing the growing babe inside Bathsheba’s womb to be silenced by death.
Sin has consequences.
Scars will remain from the injuries we have caused to ourselves and to others, but God still uses every bruise and every scar. For it is in these bruises and scars that we are led to a new sense of brokenness and repentance towards God.
In a Psalm after David murdered and had an adulterous affair, he wrote,“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart these, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17 God indeed loves a heart of brokenness and humility.
Sometimes we have to be broken to realize how much we missed being whole in God.
These are some words to God from my own heart from three years ago that I will part with:
I’m ready for your change! Your change that transforms a calloused blue bruise into a patch of healed flesh. Yes, I know the scar may remain, reminding me what future choices must be made. For it is the scar that acts as the body’s compass: illuminating the individual with memories of the past, memories depicting the events that led to the bruising.
But I don’t mind the scar, and I’m finding that You don’t either. Yes, you were disappointed when I played with the fire that scorched my tender skin; YET THE FLESH HAD TO BE BROKEN TO REALIZE HOW MUCH IT MISSED BEING WHOLE. It had to experience pain to enjoy the bliss of Your lavish touch; the touch that healed the mark and set atop new skin.
Your change is coming again, my Healer of the broken. I must say, I look forward to seeing what that change brings.
I know brokenness has its reasons: to draw me into a better understanding of You and your grace.
Note that I am not saying God glories in our bruises or scars. He hurts when we are unfaithful to Him (take a look at His words through the prophets) yet He allows our hearts to go astray at certain moments in time so we can be broken enough to realize how much we missed being whole in Him. “…Then they will seek my face; In their affliction, they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:15) In our most broken moments, we many times yearn to draw into the arms of God because we have nowhere else to turn. So in this way…
every scar, bruise, and hurt has a purpose.
