Our Father--faithful to discipline His children

The Word for today: 
2 Samuel 10:1 -- 11:27

mark this: 2 Samuel 11:27--
But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

David is the Bible's example of a man after God's own heart (1). He loved the LORD with everything he had: all that was within him blessed God's holy name (2).

But in a time of restlessness born of inactivity and comfort in his sumptuous new palace...

It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem (3).

David and Israel were at the peak of their powers . All was going well. This man who had lived in the caves and on the front lines was now living in ease and comfort. His guard was down.

From the roof of his palace, seeing beautiful Bathsheba bathing, he sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her; and she returned to her house (4).

Trying to cover-up what he had done, he conspired to have Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba's brave and loyal husband, killed during battle. Thus his sin had compounded itself.

Sin was the exception in David's life--not the pattern of it. But be sure that, as our loving Father, God is faithful to discipline his children. God will not let his child get by with sin. The thing that David had done displeased the LORD; therefore the LORD took David "to the woodshed."

When David slipped into sin, God put the lash on his back and never took it off. If you are a child of God and do these things, God will chasten you; He will take you to the woodshed right here and now.

If God doesn’t chasten you, you are in a frightful condition (5). If God doesn't discipline you, it means you are not His child, because God does not spank the Devil’s children.

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(1) 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22; (2) Psalm 103:1 (3) 2 Samuel 11:1; (4) 2 Samuel 11:4: (5) Hebrews 12:8