Category Archives: Moral Integrity

The Prayer of Repentance

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Once Upon A Time

“The Parable of the Ducks”— Once upon a time there was a town where only ducks lived. Every Sunday the ducks waddled out of their houses and down Main Street to their Duck Church. They waddled in and sat down in their proper seats. The Duck Choir would waddle in and take their place, and the Duck Pastor would waddle forward and open his Duck Bible. Then he’d read to them: “Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles! No walls can confine you! No fences can hem you in! You have wings, so FLY!” All the ducks would shout, “Amen!” And then they would all waddle home!

When Sin Invades

The moral of the story? Once sin invades our life, it cripples our ability to live the Christian life the way God intended for us to live it; and until we repent of our sin, we’ll “waddle” through this life even though God has ENABLED us to “FLY” IN CHRIST! Before his ascension to the throne of Israel—and for much of his early reign—King David was a man of moral integrity. But somewhere he began to take himself too seriously, and pride began to crowd out the voice of God’s Spirit in his life, and he began to lose his way spiritually. The tragic events leading up to King David’s most memorable sinful gaffe are found in 2 Samuel 11.

David’s Tragic Gaffe

It began “in the spring,” verse 1 says, “when kings march out to war.” It was customary for kings to march out to war with their soldiers to inspire them. But David decided to indulge himself at home while his soldiers set up camp in an open field. “David sent Joab,” the text says, “with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.” That decision proved to be a dreadful mistake for David. One evening, while out for a stroll on the roof of his palace, he saw something he never would have been exposed to had he marched to war with his men. A woman was cleansing herself. She was a beautiful woman, according to verse 2, and David decided he wanted her. So, he sent messengers to find out who she was—she was the wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah—and that should have ended it! She was another man’s wife! But David sent for her and slept with her.

The Big Cover-Up

It was supposed to be a one-night fling for the king, but she became pregnant. Then he orchestrated a cover-up that ended in her husband Uriah’s death. But God was displeased with what David had done, so He sent Nathan the prophet to expose King David’s sin and to inform him that the son Uriah’s wife would bear would die. It’s at that point that the Scriptures allow us to peer in on King David to see what a prayer of repentance looks like. What we learn is that repentant prayer reopens communication with God that sin had closed. I’m confident that David’s sin didn’t begin with Uriah’s wife. When the big sin shows up, there’s always a trail of little sins leading up to it. And David repented for all of it.
 

God’s High Regard For His Name

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A Humanly Impossible Situation

There’s a great Bible read, in 2 Chronicles 14, about a “good” king named Asa. That’s significant because Israel & Judah had a lot of “bad” kings.  Asa, however, “…did what was good and right in the sight of the LORD his God…” v.2 says.  But, as God often does, in the lives of His saints, He uses “trouble” to grow their faith. In v.8, we read that “…Asa had an army of 300,000 from Judah bearing large shields and spears, and 280,000 from Benjamin…”; and, then “trouble” shows up! It says that “…Zerah the Cushite came against them with an army of one million men and 300 chariots…” Do the math! Judah found itself in a mismatch; a humanly impossible situation!

It Is Nothing For You To Help

And, what was King Asa’s response? “Asa cried out to the LORD his God, and said, ‘LORD, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O LORD,  You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!’” v.11.  Why is it our tendency to make prayer our last resort? It is our general predisposition to try & work things out in our wisdom 1st.  We have this penchant for gritting our teeth; and, trying to work things out in our own strength! Only after we’ve exhausted all human resources do we finally pray about it! 

A Prayer That Get’s God’s Attention

Why?  Are we afraid we’re bothering God? Maybe we’re waking Him up? Scripture says, “…He never sleeps, He never slumbers…” (Psalms 121:4-5) I want to challenge you to go back to v.11 and reread Asa’s prayer.  Asa provides us with a model prayer for getting God’s attention! While his prayer was about his “circumstances,” it wasn’t really about his “circumstances”! It was a prayer about GOD! It was a prayer expressing concern for God’s Glory! “This battle isn’t about me God,” to paraphrase Asa’s prayer,  “It’s about YOU! There’s no one besides You!  You help those without strength!  We depend on You!  Your NAME is at stake here! Don’t let a mere mortal hinder You!”

His Glory Is Magnified In Our Weakness

God DOES NOT help those who help themselves! You’re deceived if you think that statement has any basis in Scripture.  It’s s human LIE! A fabrication! God helps those who are weak & depend upon Him! Asa understood that God’s ultimate purpose in everything He does is to magnify His glory! And His glory is magnified when weak, needy people admit that they are weak & needy; and go to Him for help! He is glorified when we confess our weakness, and we turn to Him where He can show Himself strong on our behalf!

God’s Glory: Our Greatest Concern

So, how do you define God’s “Glory”? It’s kind of like His “BEAUTY.” God’s glory is in the “BEAUTY” of His perfection; in His character; and His moral excellence! “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” James 1:13. God’s highest purpose is to preserve & display His infinite, awesome greatness & worth. That’s His GLORY! There is NOTHING of higher value! If God should have a greater affection for anything He created, He would be unjust— He’d be an idolater!  So, here’s the principle— King Asa prayed right because his greatest concern was for God’s GLORY; not, for victory in this battle!  Our prayers should always be a request for God to bring GLORY to Himself through His answer! His GLORY, through the answer, is more important than our need! May we humbly accept this truth!

The Moral Relativism Problem!

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–Doing What’s Best In Your Own Eyes!

The deadliest accident in aviation history occurred on March 27, 1977, when 2 Boeing 747 passenger jets collided on the runway of Tenerife North Airport on Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. There were 583 total fatalities. The crash left behind many unanswered questions. It was a foggy day; and, the pilots, of the 2 planes, could not see each other. But, for some inexplicable reason, one of the pilots began his takeoff without clearance from the control tower. The other plane was in the way & he was unable to avoid it; so, 583 people died! Every pilot is taught one very basic lesson at the beginning of their training— in an air traffic control zone, you NEVER do what seems best in your own eyes! You always do what the control tower tells you to do.

-Acting On Your Own Can Be Disastrous!

The reason is simple & obvious— the controller knows things you can’t possible know or see. They have more accurate information & a better perspective to guide the plane safely to its destination. Acting on your own can be disastrous! While that seems like an obvious principle for aviation, it ought to be an equally obvious principle for living out your life. Our Creator God ought to be our control tower! Unfortunately, we live in dark times. Our country & the world appear to be stuck in a dark moral vacuum where no one seems to believe that there are moral absolutes of right and wrong anymore. People are committed to a philosophy of “moral relativism”; which, simply means everyone does that which is right in their own eyes. 

-Losing Your Spiritual Compass!

The Old Testament book of Judges offers us a vivid picture of what happens when a society does what’s right in their own eyes & it reads like the daily paper or nightly news in our own country.  Judges unpacks the story of a spiritually deteriorating nation; and, provides us an example of what our own lives will become if we fall away from God’s Word & lose our spiritual compass. Look at how the book begins:  “The people worshiped the Lord throughout Joshua’s lifetime and during the lifetimes of the elders who outlived Joshua… after them another generation rose up who did not know the Lord or the works He had done for Israel. The Israelites did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They worshiped the Baals and abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers… they went after other gods from the surrounding peoples and bowed down to them. They infuriated the Lord” Judges 2:7-14.

-The Beginnings Of Apostasy!

For Israel, the apostasy began slowly as it always does! Sin always seems harmless when we’re just looking at something that’s enticing; but, the look leads to partaking; and, then a commitment to hiding the sin! To wearing a mask & pretending we’re not guilty! Sin’s most effective strategy against us is to gradually introduce small compromises, sinking us into moral collapse. I had a Bible College professor who used to say, “You don’t just wake up one day & say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna kill somebody today!’ You don’t just wake up one day & say, ‘Hey, I’m gonna sleep with someone I’m not married to.’” Sin takes over gradually. A small compromise here & a bit more there! Before Achan coveted & stole he began to calculate the possibility of how he could get away with it (Joshua 7). The compromise began in his heart; and, it was gradual. He failed to take those 1st thoughts captive & denounce them; and, because he didn’t control them, they eventually controlled him! Let the sin take control & then you begin to justify it! That’s the sin talking!

The Prayer Of Repentance!

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-Once Upon A Time!

“The Parable Of The Ducks”— Once upon a time there was a town where only ducks lived. Every Sunday the ducks waddled out of their houses & down Main Street to their Duck Church. They waddled in & squatted down in their proper seats. The Duck Choir would waddle in & take their place. And, the Duck Pastor would waddle forward & open his Duck Bible. And, he’d read to them:  “Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up & soar like Eagles! No walls can confine you! No fences can hem you in! You have wings, so FLY!” All the ducks would shout, “Amen!” And, then they would all waddle home!

-When Sin Invades!

The moral to the story? Once sin invades our life it cripples our ability to live the Christian life the way God intended for us to it; and, until we repent of our sin, we’ll “waddle” through this life though God has ENABLED us to “FLY” IN CHRIST! Before his ascension, to the throne of Israel— and, for much of his early reign—  King David was a man of moral integrity. But, some where he began to take himself too seriously; and, pride began to crowd out the voice of God’s Spirit, in his life; and, he began to lose his way spiritually. The tragic events leading up to King David’s most memorable sinful gaffe are found in 2 Samuel ch. 11.

-David’s Tragic Gaffe!

It began “..in the spring,” v.1 says, “when kings march out to war.” It was customary for kings to march out to war, with their soldiers, to inspire them! But, David decides to indulge himself at home while his soldiers set up camp in an open field. “…David sent Joab,” the text says, “with his officers and all Israel.  They destroyed the Ammonites & besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.” That decision proved to be a dreadful mistake for David! One evening, while out for a stroll on the roof of his palace, he sees something he never would have been exposed to if he had marched to war with his men. A woman was cleansing herself. She was a beautiful woman, according to v.2; and, David decides he wants her. So, he sends messengers to find out who she was—she was the WIFE of one of his soldiers, Uriah & that should have ended it! She was another man’s wife! But David sent for her & slept with her!

-The Big Cover-Up!

It would just be a 1-night fling for the king; but, she got pregnant! And, then he orchestrated a cover-up that ended in her husband Uriah’s death! But God was displeased with what David had done; so, He sent Nathan, the Prophet, to expose King David’s sin & to inform him that the son, that Uriah’s wife would give birth to, would die. It’s at that point that the Scriptures allow us to peer in on King David to see what a “Prayer of Repentance” looks like! What we learn is that repentant prayer re-opens communication with God that sin had closed! I’m pretty confident that David’s sin didn’t begin here with Uriah’s wife. When the big sin shows up, there’s always a trail of little sins leading up to it. And, David repented of all of it!