The Well

Connecting Hope to the Hurting

Wednesday
June 11, 2008

MISPLACED TRUST

And David said to God, "I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are innocent—what have they done? O LORD my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy your people."
Then the angel of the LORD told Gad to instruct David to build an altar to the LORD at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite...
David said to Araunah, "Let me buy this threshing floor from you at its full price. Then I will build an altar to the LORD there, so that he will stop the plague."
"Take it, my LORD, and use it as you wish," Araunah said to David. "Here are oxen for the burnt offerings, and you can use the threshing tools for wood to build a fire on the altar. And take the wheat for the grain offering. I will give it all to you."
But the king replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying what it is worth. I cannot take what is yours and give it to the LORD. I will not offer a burnt offering that has cost me nothing!"…
David built an altar there to the LORD and sacrificed burnt offerings and peace offerings. And when David prayed, the LORD answered him by sending fire from heaven to burn up the offering on the altar.
1 Chronicles 21:17-18, 22-24, 26

Prior to today's reference David decided he wanted to take a Census. Unfortunately for David, he did not seek the Lord prior to this decision and it turned out to be a horrible judgment call. Verse 7 states, "God was very displeased with the census, and he punished Israel for it."

David was placing his trust in himself and in all that he had accomplished during his reign rather than in the Lord. Even if this was in a passing moment, it had horrendous consequences. However, once confronted, David repented.

Survivors of abuse often do these things over and over until they finally learn to trust God first and then themselves. It's not our accomplishments that matter in this life, it's how we love, and what a difference we can make through the love He places in us.

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All Scripture is taken from "The New Living Translation unless otherwise notated."
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