Favorite Passage

We share quotes and lyrics and verses but sometimes some things speak to you more, whole chapters, poems, song, or paragraphs. There are many things in life that touch us in different ways at different times in our lives. Sometimes it’s the song that touches our heart and brings us to tears, sometimes it’s a book that gives us a new way of looking at things, or an escape. The Bible provides us with so much whether we read it, listen to it or grab verses that touch our heart in a time of need however we need it. The Bible can give us hope, encouragement, discipline, admonishment, love, and instructions on how to go to Heaven and live a life pleasing to God. There are so many passages in the scripture that can heal and bring us closer to God and for us to pick one that we cling onto is great! Maybe you have a favorite verse or verses, share those! Maybe you read the Bible and your eyes are opened to something you didn’t see before! What a blessing! Each chapter is put in there for a reason whether it was for people thousands of years ago, people today, or those who have yet to read it. There is only one volume, and it is very special when you think about it’s timelessness and the fact that we can read it in our own language with ease!
    
For me to sit here and pick my favorite passage is hard, there are so many and yours and mine may not be the same but that’s okay! Learn your passage, look around it, see what is going on in the Bible at that time, who wrote it, why they wrote it and what it means to you! That is important to you and gives you confidence to share it with others even if you don’t have all these answers, you can still share it!
    
Psalms and Proverbs are full of great verses and passages that help us in many ways in song and in short words of wisdom! My favorite verse is in Psalms, but many people have something different, some have one in Romans, some have one in John, some have one in Timothy, and some have one in Philippians.
           
So, like many share their favorite songs, I’m going to share my favorite passage of scripture and reflect on what it means to me. White it is very hard to choose which one. This one always brings me back to reality and gives me that sense that God still loves me, and I want to show my love to Him. Before I share my favorite passage there is a backstory. Like any good movie, book, or story, there’s always a problem that needs to be solved and this was a problem. David, the giant killer who was loved and adored by many people of his country became king of Israel as the prophet Samuel had said and anointed him by God Almighty. David was on cloud nine, he was fighting battles against the countries that hated God Almighty. Not only was he fighting in the battles he was winning them! But one day he decided to stay at home while the army went to fight without him. “And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11:1.”  The army was doing well, but David stayed home, confident of God and the army he had. Now resting isn’t a bad thing but David had obligations and when we have obligations, especially to God, God wants us to keep them, whether it’s a promise we’ve made to Him or knowing we should immerse ourselves in His word and will, God wants us to draw nigh to Him. The Bible tells us, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8.” Remember this verse later. So, here’s David, he has the world at his fingertips. He has a good life as king. He is revered, feared, and is following God’s will up until that day when he makes the conscious decision to stay at home. When we make the conscious decision not to follow God, the devil will pick up that slack and you can be sure about that. David probably felt untouchable, but he wasn’t and we need to be careful as the scripture says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:12-13.” The devil will swoop in and tempt you at some of the strangest moments, maybe it’s a weak moment, maybe it’s after a big victory, maybe it’s just a regular day that leads to a huge blunder, remember the devil is just waiting for you to loosen your walk with God and look to something else to fulfill that need. The devil did just that with David. However, God always gives us a way out. David messed up but what happened after he could’ve easily just escaped but that’s not what happened. First, David got full of himself and stayed home, he probably thought nothing would come of it, just another day. But oh, he was wrong. “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 2 Samuel 11:2.” David saw Bathsheba on the roof, bathing in the moonlight. He noticed she was very pretty. Nothing wrong with appreciating beauty but when it crosses that line where you would be ashamed to tell anyone else what you are thinking, that’s when it gets into trouble! “And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 2 Samuel 11:3.” David took it a step further and started asking questions about this woman. Who is she? He knew who her father was and her husband as well after this little search. David could’ve escaped this temptation. He could’ve just said, okay, she’s someone’s wife, my mistake. He could’ve gone back to bed. Instead, he let the temptation grow and fester. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see! The Bible is clear about that, Jesus says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Matthew 5:28.” David didn’t just appreciate God’s creation. He wanted something more that that. At any time he could’ve stopped and said, ‘no this isn’t right’, but he was king. He was the giant killer. He was David! “And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. 2 Samuel 11:4.” David committed adultery that night. Maybe it was a normal night, but everything shifted then. David committed two open sins by then. He lusted and committed adultery. He could’ve stopped there and got right with God but instead he got some shocking news. Bathsheba was pregnant. Where was Uriah? Off to battle, remember David didn’t go, going off to battle wasn’t an overnight deal and back the next day, they were gone for a while. David’s wheels got turning in his mind and he had to do something and quick. Uriah was a general in his army. David decided to get Uriah from battle to make it look like the baby was his. Uriah came home. David talked with Uriah, “And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.” David was trying his hardest to make Uriah happy, giving him meat and a night off. “But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.” Uriah didn’t go home! David was stunned, “And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. 2 Samuel 11:6-11.” Uriah felt guilty about being home when the army was out there fighting for the Lord and didn’t want to get comfortable. He was a soldier after all! Uriah knew he should protect the king and slept at the door. David was feeling very guilty and unsettled at this point. His general had more control than he did so it seemed. So, Bathsheba is at home with child and Uriah is at the king’s palace guarding the door. David is not one happy royal. “And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.” David got Uriah drunk thinking this would do the trick. But Uriah was still at the door like a good soldier. David was at his wits end and knew Uriah wouldn’t relent and go home. So, David took drastic measures. “And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 2 Samuel 12-17.” Talk about cold blooded. David had Uriah deliver his own death sentence! David had Uriah killed for the mere fact he wouldn’t go home to his wife. David’s actions escalated quickly and not many knew about it, but God did. God knew and this temptation was something David could’ve avoided. He didn’t have to commit adultery, he didn’t have to lie, he didn’t have to steal someone’s wife, he didn’t have to get someone drunk, and he surely didn’t have to get someone killed! But David did. Sometimes the smallest sin can lead to the greatest consequences! Remember the wages of sin is death and sin will pay and did in David’s life.  Why didn’t anyone say anything? It was the king and people tended to like their lives back then and keep things private. But God was fixing to stir the pot because David probably thought he got away with it. No one knew, Uriah died in battle as a good soldier. Bathsheba was now with David. Life was strangely good until the prophet showed up. “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David.” God was fixing to show David the error of his ways by giving him a story. “And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.” Talk about some savagery. That rich man had some issues! All that and go and kill the poor man’s pet lamb? Horrible. David heard all this and had some serious emotions, “And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” David was mad with anger and righteous with his judgment and punishment. Then Nathan dropped a bomb, “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 2 Samuel 12:1-10.”  Oh man. Talk about some judgment from God! David heard this story about a lamb being killed by a villain and turns out that the story was about him! And the prophet proclaimed that David’s life wasn’t going to be easy from here on out nor for his family. His one lapse of judgment turned into a colossal failure. Maybe you feel like David. Maybe you’ve made some decisions you wished you hadn’t. You can’t change what happened. You can’t change the choices you made. But you can change how you go forward. David could’ve turned angry and spiteful from God. He could’ve just gone off the deep end. Sadly, many do, they don’t see the redemption they just see their sins. Maybe you haven’t committed adultery or killed anyone, but the Bible says, “For him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin. James 4:17.”  The old saying, if the shoe fits, truly applied here in David’s life and it applies to us as well. We’ve all had moments of weakness where we’ve given into temptation. God has given us an escape but we’ve either ignored it or flat out rejected it and jumped in and suffered the consequences. David realized his errors and makes a decision. This is where my favorite passage comes in. Sometimes we need the whole story before we get to the main event, we need background, context, and emotion. We see David had so many emotions roiling and felt guilty. But what to do with that guilt? What to do with that sin that so easily besets us? 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we get confess our sins to God, He knows already but like a good parent, wants us to fess up and admit our failure to ourselves and face it head on knowing that our sin hurts God Almighty. David confessed his sin to God in a psalm, that is poignant and helps us even today, thousands of years later. He says, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.” God wants us to be truthful to Him and to ourselves. He says, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow .Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” Sin hurts, physically, emotionally, and mentally. David’s life is an example of that. He prayers to God, “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities .Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” My favorite verse reminds me that God always loves us and wants us to have a heart pure towards him and He can get our spirit in the right place again even though sin will dirty our heart, we know the ultimate cleanser! God won’t leave us because He loves us, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalms 51:1-17.” God wants us to have a clean heart that is ready to learn, lean, listen, and love Him with all of it, not just part. I’m sure if David was alive this verse would’ve hit home too. “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. James 4:8.” He wants us to get our lives right and follow His lead. It may not happen overnight. David’s consequences didn’t disappear, and neither will ours, but God’s love exceeds all that. The closer you get to God, the worse sin looks, even the smallest sin is magnified because God is trying to clean you up. He wants you to be free from sin, not free to sin!
          
My favorite passage can be used in many ways but looking at why it was written is key and how David felt towards God and how God forgave him. How do we know God forgave him? The New Testament says, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus: Acts 13:22-23.” David was in the lineage and ancestry of Jesus Christ.  God doesn’t give up on us because of our sin. God loves us despite our sin and wants us to be cleansed and let Him create in us a life we can only dream about!
         

 I hope you found my favorite passage helpful in your walk with Christ. It’s not about me, it’s not about my preferences but about God’s word and sometimes it takes us for a journey that we never saw coming but my, oh my, the destination is breathtaking. May God bless you as you continue in your walk with Christ whether it’s your first step or your ten thousandth. Know that God is with you and can use your testimony, just like He used David. God can use your favorite passage to give you courage to help someone in time of need whether it’s a simple verse as John 3:16 that sums up God’s love in a beautiful way or 2 Timothy 2:15 that reminds us to study and not be ashamed of God’s word, God is always magnified when we are fully God applied! So, share away my friends and watch God move in your life! If you don’t have a favorite passage, I pray you open God’s word and find that speaks to you personally that you can come back to again and again that will bring you renewal, hope, and comfort through whatever you are facing. All of God’s word is for us, find something for you!