Vitamins for Spiritual Health (1)

“Are you in health, my brother?” 2Sa 20:9 NKJV
The principles of God’s Word work like spiritual vitamins. For the next few days let’s look at some: Never excuse in yourself what you accuse in others. King David did that. In confronting him over his sin with Bathsheba, Nathan the prophet told David a story about two men. One had many cattle; the other had only one lamb. When a guest came to the rich man’s house for dinner, he took the poor man’s lamb. “David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said…‘the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb…because he had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man!’” (2Sa 12:5-7 NKJV). Nathan continued: “Thus says the Lord God of Israel…I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives…And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!…You have killed Uriah [Bathsheba’s husband]…with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife…Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house’” (vv. 7-10 NKJV). David didn’t know it, but he pronounced his punishment with his own lips: “He shall restore fourfold.” And David did. First, the child he fathered with Bathsheba died. Second, his son raped his daughter, and he didn’t have the moral authority to deal with it. Third, Absalom, the beloved son destined to inherit his throne, fomented war and died at the hands of his own people. Fourth, civil war broke out in Israel and thousands of people died as a result. The lesson is clear: never accuse in another what you excuse in yourself.

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