Rise, and walk.

The Word for today:
1 Kings 15:1 -- 16:7

mark this: 1 Kings 15:5 --
For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD's commands all the days of his life--except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

Throughout the books of Kings and Chronicles, David is held up as a standard by which other kings are measured. We know all about David's sins, so how can it be that we should walk as David walked? (1)

First, it must be made clear that David did not live in habitual sin. What he did once -- in the matter of Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba -- the Kings of Babylon and Egypt were doing every weekend.

And when David fell, he got up; he confessed his sin to God, and asked for cleansing in order to follow after God's heart (2) once again. God takes great delight in seeing us get back up:
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholds him with his hand (3).

The parable of the prodigal son illustrates the heart of David. The prodigal son fell into sin, but he got back up and returned to his father's house:
I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son." (4)

Hearing his confession, His Father ran to greet him, and made it a point to confirm that the prodigal was ever his son:
Bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found (5).

Jesus once demonstrated his authority to forgive sins by commanding a paralytic, brought in on a stretcher, to Rise, and walk (6). Not only did he give him the command, but he gave him the power to do it!
And so the man rose; forgiven by God, restored.

So walk like David. Live a life which pleases God, like David habitually did. But when you fall, by the blood of Jesus which purchased God's authority to forgive sin--
Rise, and walk.

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(1) 1 Kings 3:14; 8:25; 9:4; (2) 1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22; (3) Psalm 37:23-24; (4) Luke 15:18-19; (5) Luke 15:23-24; (6) Luke 5:23; (7) see Psalm 63:8 and Acts 13:22.