A Life of Thanksgiving to God

At the end of his life, David describes himself as the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the sweet psalmist of Israel. As grace came to him again and again, he began to take it for granted, and through that opening he fell into sin, taking Bathsheba and having Uriah killed. Only with death before him did he understand how empty human desire and the glory of a king really are, and he saw afresh the God who had been with him at every moment of his life.

In the middle of a war, David remarked without thinking that he longed for water from the well of his hometown, and three mighty men risked their lives to break through the Philistine camp and draw that water for him. He could not bring himself to drink it. Instead he poured it out before God in repentance, saying that this was not water but the blood of his men. In that moment David came to see that a single careless word from a leader can cost the blood of those who stand beside him.

To take God’s grace for granted is to slip into sin, but to turn back at once when the Holy Spirit brings conviction is the mark of a true Christian. Those who live for themselves wait only for cool water, even while someone at their side is bleeding. Anyone who would stand unashamed before the face of God must examine their words and actions now and live a life of repentance.