LET'S LOOK AT THE LIFE OF DAVID

ANYTIME GOD DESCRIBE SOMEONE AS 'A MAN AFTER MY OWN HEART,' STUDY THEM CAREFULLY. LET'S LOOK AT THE LIFE OF DAVID. HE HAD A HUMBLE START BUT A GREAT FINISH. DAVID BEGAN AS A SHEPHERD AND ENDED UP AS A KING. THE CHANCES OF THAT HAPPENING WERE SLIM TO NONE. IN THOSE DAYS SHEPHERDS WERE SO LOW IN SOCIETY THEY COULDN'T TESTIFY IN A COURT OF LAW; THEIR WORD WASN'T CONSIDERED RELIABLE. YET DAVID ENDED UP WRITING THE MOST WIDELY READ AND LOVED PSALMS OF ALL TIME. WHEN YOU INVITE GOD IN YOUR LIFE HE CANCELS THE LIABILITIES OF YOUR PAST AND REWRITES YOUR FUTURE. BUT YOU MUST CHOOSE WHAT HE HAS CHOSEN FOR YOU. THERE'S AN INTERESTING CONTRAST BETWEEN PAUL AND DAVID. PAUL DID HIS BAD DEEDS BEFORE HE MET CHRIST THEN WENT ON TO LIVE AN EXEMPLARY LIFE. DAVID BECAME KING AT THIRTY; YET DURING HIS FORTY YEARS IN LEADERSHIP HE EXPERIENCED DEVASTATING FAILURE. THERE ARE TWO LESSONS HERE: 1) DON'T RUSH RUSH TO JUDGEMENT. ITS NOT OVER UNTIL GOD SAYS IT'S OVER. DAVID'S STORY IS A WARNING TO THE TRANSGRESSOR, A REBUKE TO THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS, A TESTIMONY TO THE JUSTICE OF GOD THAT WONT ALLOW US TO ESCAPE OUR CONSEQUENCES, AND TO HIS LOVE THAT WILL NEVER LET GO OF US. 2) GOD CAN BRING GOOD OUT OF IT. HE CAN TAKE EVERY EXPERIENCE YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH, BOTH POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE, AND MAKE IT WORK FOR GOOD, EITHER YOUR GOOD OR THE GOOD OF OTHERS. WHEN YOU SEEK TO FULFILL GOD'S PURPOSES IN SPITE OF YOUR FLAWS, HE MAKES ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. ''MEN OF COURAGE'', NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PAST WAS, GOD CAN WIPE IT OUT AND GIVE YOU A BETTER FUTURE. LETS THRIVE TO FULFILL GOD'S INTENDED PURPOSE FOR OUR LIVES.