Another song or two, maybe three
It’s been a while since a song has made me think theological. YouTube was playing “songs of the best generation – the 80’s and 90’s” (yeah, I said it, and I stand by it) and one of the more recent songs by the band Train came on.
Take a listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmXaaEvnnOQ
The song reminisces about life. The things that were good, the things that were bad. In a lot of ways, I could see it as the spiritual successor to Springsteen’s Glory Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vQpW9XRiyM
Now I compared Train and The Boss…. this may be my most provoking devotion yet…..I can hear the keyboards angerly typing and the soldiers of the generation wars being called to arms!
Anyway. All of this comes together here;
Wednesday morning Bible study has been dealing with the aftermath of David and Bathsheba. It is an interesting case study. David was a very very good “anointed king”. Once he became “The King Anointed” you really get the impression that David struggles with what to do next. He expands the borders, secures the land, administers justly. As he gets older, however, you can see him get comfortable. That’s when he stops going to war and sends others. He stops going to the city gates (the center of justice and business) and sends others. He stops parenting his children…over 20 of them. He is slow in naming an heir. He doesn’t deal with family issues.
I am not saying all of this on a desire to “slam” David or push him off a pedestal.
Instead:
I wonder how much of David’s trouble came from a desire to remain in the “Glory Days”?
I wonder how much of David’s trouble came from a focus on his “Bruises”
I wonder how much of David’s trouble comes from the thought that his sins of the past keep him from being qualified to engage in the present? Simply put was he so busy looking back that he wasn’t looking forward….and when you don’t watch where you are going…well you walk into stuff. Sometimes that is little stuff that give you bruises. Sometimes that is things that changes the rest of your life.
Through it all I want to ask you what is your foundation? Who are you?
The product of your glory days?
The byproduct of your bruises?
Or like David do we need to remember who anointed us?
Do we need to remember who strengthens and redeems us?
Or perhaps we remember why David was considered a righteous man. It was not because he was always good, or always right. Instead, it was because in the midst of his sin, he always turned back to the Lord. In fact he said The Lord is his shepherd…..He makes me lie down…He sees him through the valley of shadows….he prepares a table…..
Goodness and mercy will follow, no it will chase, him all the days of his life.
And it will you as well my friends. Because that is the love of God.
He knows our bruises; he isn’t impressed by our Glory Days. Instead, He is preparing for us days of glory.
Now, if you will excuse me, I am going to listen to the greatest song on that playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
See you Sunday my friends,
-Pastor Dan