God’s heart of generosity towards us is greater than we can imagine. We see this most clearly in the life of King David.
The man after God’s own heart had conquered a giant, won great victories, and even been anointed king. His life went from good to great and God was blessing him at every turn.
More, Not Less
One spring day, at a time when kings usually went out to battle with their men, David stayed home. He put his feet up, settled in to comfort and luxury, and ended up committing adultery. While one of David’s mighty men, Uriah, was off to battle fighting the king’s enemies, David was at home sleeping with Uriah’s wife.
It got ugly.
God sent a man named Nathan to rebuke David for this sin. In the middle of Nathan’s speech he dropped a very surprising “Thus says the Lord” that I believe God wants to speak to you and to me today. God said this:“I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more…” 2 Samuel 12:7-8
Crazy Generous
God had already blessed David greatly, but the astounding message of this verse is that he would have given David even more. In this passage God tips his hand to show us his cards. The God of the Bible is abundantly generous.
God loved David and blessed him as a man after God’s own heart. Yet in a moment of passion David “despised the word of the Lord” by breaking the seventh commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” and then the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder.”
Like David, we too can settle for sin and compromise our character when God would gladly give us so much more. As C.S. Lewis once wrote, “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Immeasurably More
I want God’s best for my life and yours. May we experience more of God. More of his favor. More fruitfulness in his kingdom. More partnership in his plans. And more joy in him than we can find anywhere else.
David’s life dares us not to settle for sin. In sin we take, but by faith we trust. In sin we worry, but by faith we worship. In sin we grasp, but by faith we receive.
The God of the Bible is a God of abundance. He invites us to obey his word and ask him for immeasurably more: “And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.”
© 2016 John Rinehart
