I (Kimberley) was sharing a lessson with our Adult Women’s group.
In the past weeks, we've talked about how God created us with physical bodies, temples of the Holy Spirit. How we are to treat our bodies with care, because they matter to God.
Today we began talking about another part of how God has made us. Our emotions. We talked about how God created us to experience a variety of emotions. Not only that, the Bible tells us that He Himself expresses emotion.
I shared several Bible passages, particularly from the Gospels. It was wonderful to watch the women looking them up in their Bibles! Jesus had times of agony, times of anger, times of joy. And, the shortest verse in the Bible, John 11:35 says, Jesus wept. What a comfort to know that it’s okay to cry!
We talked about the fact that emotions in and of themselves are okay, but many times, how we handle them is not. We looked at more passages, in both the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is filled with emotions, and wise words on how to respond to our feelings!
Our final verse was Psalm 51:10, asking God to create clean hearts in our lives. I asked the women if they knew the story of David and Bathsheba (Betsabé). I was expecting them to say Yes, but they didn’t seem sure. So, with my Spanish-English Bible in hand, I did my best to summarize the passages in II Samuel 11-12.
How David saw beautiful Bathsheba and acted on his lust, calling her to sleep with the king. Then, when she sent word that she was pregnant, David brought Uriah home and tried to trick him into sleeping with her - twice! But, honorable Uriah wouldn’t.
What happened next? What did the king of Israel, the man God had said was after His own heart, do?
David chose to send a letter to Joab, telling him to put Uriah in the heaviest part of the fighting and then withdraw so he was killed. David, the king, the man of God, conspired to murder an innocent man.
And, that’s just what happened. The women seemed surprised, which is no surprise, as it's a shocking story!
God saw what David did, of course, and sent the prophet Nathan to call him to repentance. David confessed his sin and God forgave him. But, there were going to be consequences, including the death of their child. This was what happened, I told the women. These actions are what caused David to write Psalm 51. I read the first several verses, and then verse 10. Create in me, a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Listen again to the word David uses - Create. Not simply wipe up the mess, but Create -make again - a Clean heart.
If God could forgive David, He can forgive us. We need to confess our sins, and ask forgiveness in Jesus' name, and He will forgive us.
And, that’s when Luz asked her question. “But, what about her baby? Did it die?”
Yes, her baby did die. It felt harsh having to say that. I kind of wished she hadn't asked the question! But, it's a part of the story, a part of the truth we need to know.
When we sin and ask for forgiveness, God will forgive. That doesn’t mean, however, the consequences will just disappear. Our sins impact our lives, and the lives of others, too. Like Bathsheba’s baby. The women shook their heads in sadness, but seemed to understand.
It’s a sobering thought, one we don’t always like to recall. Like all of us, the women sitting around the table in the Social Work site have had things impact their lives. Some were because of their own choices, others are consequences of others’ actions.
But, they are choosing to learn more about God so that they can more and more live in a way that blesses themselves and others. In spite of some really icky stuff, brokenness and pain, they are choosing to seek Him.
I pray that as we continue to work with the women, sharing what God has taught us about His Word, we will continue to learn from them, too. Learn not to be bitter or live life looking back at the past, but instead, accepting the hard stuff, strive forward to walk more fully in Christ.
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