Never Say Never!
"Na, na, I’ll never preach again!” whispered James to the soutar (shoemaker), as they rose from their knees.
"I winna be a’tegither sure o’ that!” returned the soutar."
—George MacDonald in Salted with Fire
"David mustered the army and went to Rabbah and captured it" (2 Samuel 12: 29). A brief report, a throw-away line…that celebrates God's amazing grace.
Joab, David's commander, sent word to David that Rabbah, the royal city of the Ammonites, was about to fall. Joab had seized control of the outskirts of the city, but the acropolis was still standing and David was given the honor of capturing it. Accordingly, he gathered his army, besieged the stronghold and seized it. But here is the grace note: This conquest occurred very soon after David’s horrendous fall (cf., 2 Samuel 11:1-27).
Treacherous, adulterous, murderous David! You would think that God would turn away from him, but this is not his way. God forgives, restores and reinstates repentant sinners. Thus Jesus met the apostle who denied him and gave him this commission: "Go feed my sheep."
As soon as David said, “I have sinned,” Nathan said, ”The Lord has put away your sin," and David was given the task of conquering Rabbah, the principle city of the Ammonites, Israel’s archenemy.
Perhaps you think that God is through with you, can’t stand you any longer, will never use you again, but a broken and contrite heart brings full pardon, even if you have been very wicked (Psalm 51:17). In his everlasting love, God will have mercy on you and in his good time he will use you again. (His nature is forgiveness.) Awful sins are fully forgiven for his grace is equally “awful.” Where sin abounds, grace much more abounds!
