And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever

 

 

David confesses to God that he had put faith in the wrong person. David had begun to believe in his prosperity. He believed “I shall not be moved.” He forgot that it was the Lord who had made his mountain to stand strong. And so God hid his face from David. His protection was removed, Satan had access to David that had not been possible until pride replace humility and his personal inner power replaced God’s power moving in him.

 

David is punished and like “the man after God’s own heart” always did when confronted with his sin, David repents. He prays, “unto the Lord I made supplication” and he pleads with God for his life that he may continue to be a vessel of praise for his God, What profit is there in my blood? When I go down to the pit, shall the dust praise thee? Shall it declare thy truth? He wants to live and to see his nation live that he and they may be used to bring glory to God. He prays for that heart of pride to be replaced with a heart of humility. His prosperity turned into praise for what God has done.

 

He then with a new heart, expresses his last thanks in this passage, “Thou has turned for me, my mourning into dancing, though has put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.” For this reason, David says, “To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent. O LORD, my God, I will give thanks to thee for ever.” I like the fact that the KJV separates the two words for and ever here, because I think it adds emphasis. It not just forever it is for…….ever! Give thank to thee for…..ever!”

 

 

I don’t know why 2020 is the year that it is. We don’t have a Gad to be our prophet of from God and tell us you did this, God did this and now you need to do this. We don’t have prophets like that anymore because God’s word has given us the full revelation of God. In its pages we can hear as God speak and the the Holy Spirit convicts us personally about pride and sin and God’s judgment in our own lives. I can’t speak of those things for this entire pandemic, for this election or for the condition of our nation. I can certainly see parallels and I need to heed them, but I can’t stand before you today and say because of this God has done this. Only a self-righteous fool would do such a thing and we have enough of those without me joining their ranks.

 

Though I can’t deal with 2020 from God’s perspective directly still I can hear God’s message to me and to us as a church and as a nation.

 

I know that in all cases Psalms 14:1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

 

You need to know why young people are rioting, burning, killing and cursing their nation and their God? Well here is the reason and it will always be the reason. People with God are not better than animals, they will always do abominable works.

 

I also know that whether it is the nation’s or my own life as it says in Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

 

It was true for David and the kingdom of Israel and it is true for us.

 

I also know that this is true for us as a nation and for us as individuals, 2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

You know I used to see that verse broadcast every morning and every evening when the TV stations would begin and end their broadcast day. Right there on the screen for everyone to see and consider. I will hear and forgive. I will heal their land.

 

The night will end all the sooner for us as a nation and for me personally when I turn toward God and pray. When I examine myself, confess my sin, confess my replacing God with the things of this world and call out to him. David’s title as the man after God’s own heart could be applied two ways. First that God favored him, that God’s affection was with him and that would certainly be true, but I like to think of it as the man who followed after God’s heart. That David wanted to know the heart of God. That he could better love the God who loved him and then give his live to glorifying the One who loved Him.