And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”

2 Samuel 12

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” 2 Samuel 12:13b-14

For my daily study, I continue to lean on DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotional, which today looks at how God can be viewed as just in spite of how He forgives even the most heinous of sins.   John Piper uses one of the Bible's most glaring series of sins - David's sins of adultery, rape, murder, lies, and perhaps most glaringly how David "despised the word of the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:9).  Yet Nathan appears as a messenger from God (2 Samuel 12:1) and tells David that the Lord has put away his sin - Piper finds this outrageous.  David of course is not off with a pass as punishment awaits him not just with a son that dies (just as God says will happen) but with another son that seeks to dethrone David (see 2 Samuel 15-19).  To answer the question of how God can forgive David (and anyone with sins as heinous) and remain just, Piper refers us to Romans 3:25-26 where Paul describes how Christ is given over as propitiation (substitute) for sin.  Piper then shares: "God sees, from the time of David, down the centuries to the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, who would die in David’s place, so that David’s faith in God’s mercy and God’s future redeeming work unites David with Christ. And in God’s all-knowing mind, David’s sins are counted as Christ’s sins and Christ’s righteousness is counted as his righteousness, and God justly passes over David’s sin for Christ’s sake. The death of the Son of God is outrageous enough, and the glory of God that it upholds is great enough, that God is vindicated in passing over David’s adultery and murder and lying. And ours. And so God maintains his perfect righteousness and justice while at the same time showing mercy to those who have faith in Jesus, no matter how many or how monstrous their sins. This is unspeakably good news." Indeed!

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My Prayer:Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who died for my sin - thank You Jesus - the most amazing gift of all time.  I am not deserving of such love and blessing...of course not - my sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 1

And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

This morning, my focus is DesiringGod.com's Solid Joys daily devotion, where John Piper seeks for believers to prepare our hearts for Christmas.  Today's Solid Joys daily devotion marks day 5 of Advent, and today we see John Piper looking at the broader context of how Jesus was born in humble circumstances, and how these humble circumstances extended beyond the manger where Jesus was born.  Jesus ultimately dies on the cross, and his road to Calvary is marked with suffering and scorn.  Piper asks what many do (particularly non-believers): if Jesus is so powerful, why didn't He find a nicer place for Mary and Joseph to stay on that first Christmas evening?  Piper poses this question as a series of "could have[s]": "Jesus could have been born into a wealthy family. He could have turned stone into bread in the wilderness. He could have called 10,000 angels to his aid in Gethsemane. He could have come down from the cross and saved himself. The question is not what God could do, but what he willed to do."  Piper points us to 2 Corinthians 8:9, and then moves us along the Calvary road pausing at points in Jesus' ministry, reminding us how all believers are to follow Jesus, deny themselves and take up their cross (Luke 9:23), that "a servant [believer] is not greater than his master, [so] if they persecuted [Jesus], they will also persecute [the servant]" (John 15:20), and that we should be mindful that if we do follow Jesus there will be hardship, suffering, etc. (Luke 9:57-58).  Of course, the broader point is that Jesus did all of us this for us - that we would have life to the full now and for eternity - John 3:16, 10:10.  Rejoice!

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who came in the form of a baby, suffered and died on the cross so that I could have life to the full now and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such a God.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.