I know you hear me say this a lot, but digging into the Bible before doing something is far better than doing it your way and failing. It’s not enough to do things the right way; we have to do them with the right heart.
This is where David’s future troubles begin. It’s always interesting to me that God will use a man/woman who continues to refuse to surrender certain areas of their life to God…I wonder why God would use them. I look around at all the false teachers and wonder why God allows them to find an audience. I hear that pastors have stolen money or been guilty of adultery and wonder why God would use them… The answer is that we don’t really know. Perhaps it’s because God is patient, because He is giving the offender time to repent. Perhaps it’s just because God knows that His perfect will is going to be accomplished in spite of the sins of His people…
As we begin tonight, it’s important to establish that when one is given great responsibility, as is the case here with David, there is also great accountability… It’s not enough to want to do the right thing—one must do the right thing. It is not enough to do the right thing—one must do the right thing the right way. And with the right heart…
This is the beginning of a united Israel. Please note that this was the result God had promised through the prophet/judge Samuel. Every promise—though it may take longer than we thought it should—God makes comes to pass…