2 Sam 12:1-14

Hi guys, must apologise for my being late this morning... and also the word part was so short, 'cos after that I realise I got the passage wrong, it should be verse 1 - 14 & not 1 - 4. oh well, anyway, lets try to recap what we learned today from Nathan's parable to David:

- i think everyone said that their Mum/Teacher would be the one correcting them. now if we think carefully, is it really only Mum? I believe God can use ANYONE, to speak right into our face whenever we did something wrong, and I mean anyone like your classmate, your church friends, cousin, neighbour or even a Stranger!

- next would be our response. notice I use response and not reaction. Uncle Francis taught this concept before. Everytime when we are corrected, or scolded, criticised, etc etc. We should always seek to have a response, and not react. Why? A very gd example to explain the difference of Respond and React is when your are taking medicine. Would you want your body system to respond to medication or react to the medication? You will only get well when your body respond to the medicine, and if you get a reaction, you are worse off than before and most likely than not, you are allergic to that compound. So similarly, we should seek a positive respond whenever we encounter criticism, or when we'll being corrected. Its to help us improve and learned from our mistakes. A reaction would be like being irritated, raising your voice, denying any wrong doing, blaming others, etc etc... you know what I mean...

- Lastly, this just came to my mind. IF you know you have sinned, instead of KEEPING SECRETS, I encourage you to share it with someone, prefably an elder from church or from your family. You might get a scolding or punishment like getting grounded. But it beats keeping secrets, 'cos you are not being truthful and you are hiding the truth. You can hide it from pple, but you know you cant hide it from GOD. By sharing, that person can pray for you, and help you turn from your old ways. Just like in John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." FREE!... nothing beats the feeling of being FREE. No secrets, no more hiding, no more strongholds. Think abt that.

I shall leave you with Psalm 51 which David wrote after he repent.

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.