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David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Yahweh loved him; and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake. 2 Samuel 12:24-25 WEB.

King David and Bathsheba would have been on the front page of the news. They'd had an affair while Bathsheba's husband Uriah was away serving in the military. She became pregnant, then David had her husband killed to cover it up. It was even worse than most of our church scandals today.

Though David went through a very bad time because of his actions, God restored him after he repented. They got married, had a son named Solomon, and the LORD loved him. Hence, David, Bathsheba, and their son Solomon are listed in the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:6). God loved David before and after this incident. It was just a bump in the road for him, but David did have to repent to move forward with God again (Psalms 51).

In my own life, the Lord told me to prepare myself for ministry when I was young. So I went through Bible college, earned my degree, and looked forward to it. Yet before that, I had to endure a long messy divorce which brought out the worst in everyone involved. Wrecked and humbled, I was convinced that His ministry plan for me had ended. I felt that the ship had sailed on without me, so I concentrated on working in my computer business.

Years later, when He felt that I was finally broken and ready to use, He ended the computer business and pushed me straight into the ministry. So now, I am here writing this devotional and using the skills I learned during that time of preparation to build an online church for Him.

People fall, they repent, and God restores them. If you have made mistakes in your life, know that you are in good company. Repent, and don't worry about the disapproval of those around you. Even though David and Bathsheba are in the lineage of Jesus, they would probably not be welcome in many local churches. I am not saying that we should view sin lightly, but that God is more forgiving than His people.

Likewise, be kind to those around you who have fallen. So often, we will hang on to what people have done forever, long after the Lord has forgiven them. Even though what they have done may have been as serious as David's sin, or even worse, you don't want bitterness to live in you. Let them go.

Face it. Life is messy. People are not perfect, and sometimes they are seriously flawed. Still, if they truly repent, God will restore them. If you have stumbled, repent and get back up. This isn't the end. Though the righteous fall seven times, they get up. God will restore the fallen when they cry out to Him.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your grace and mercy. Unless You had sent Your Son Jesus, none of us would be saved. None of us can earn Your salvation. Please forgive me for my sins. I forgive others and let them go. Wash me and cleanse me from all bitterness. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: Today is Thankful Thursday at the Ministry Events group! This event gives us an opportunity encourage each other by posting thoughts, moments, and prayers of gratitude for Him, His creation and all that He does in our lives. All our welcome! To join, just click on the group name and then the join link on the page that will follow. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.