The Weight of the World

Do you ever walk around feeling like you are carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders? Perhaps what is done in secret racks your heart with feelings of guilt and unrest.

Your life can spin out of control when you attempt to cover up your problems. It is easy to believe that if others know your failure and struggle they may be hurt, mad, or even not love you any more. This week, as we have looked at the story of David in 2 Samuel 11 and 12 we see how David tried to cover up his sin and how he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

After discovering that Bathsheba was with child, David began to devise his plan to cover up his wrong doings. He sent for Bathsheba's husband,Uriah who was out in the battle field fighting with the troops that David had dispatched earlier. When Uriah arrived at David's home, David inquired about the fighting and offered him the opportunity to bathe and return home with his wife for a good night's sleep. Encouraging Uriah to sleep with his wife, thus being able to pass the child off as Uriahs. Knowing his fellow soliders were out in the fields, he slept at the palace entrance not wanting to enjoy the luxuries of a home cooked meal and good nights rest. The next day David sent for him again, this time offering him good food and drink, enough to get Uriah drunk and then again sent him back to his home to sleep with his wife. Uriah again slept at the palace gates. The following day David ordered Uriah on the front lines, knowing that he was putting him in the line of fire. Uriah, probably a bit hung-over and not well rested from a few nights at the palace entrance was killed in the line of duty. David then called for Bathsheba and took her as her as his wife and she bore him a son. One would have thought that David's troubles were now behind him.

David shares with us in Psalm 32:3-4 how the cover up affected him.

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.

Covering up our sin is not something God wants us to do. God is not shocked by our sin and our weaknesses. Remember God also doesn't classify our sin, so adultery and murder is no different in God's eyes as overindulgence. The situation is compounded when we don't' confront it head on.

About 5 years ago, I was carrying a very heavy load. I had over charged on credit cards and was hiding it from my husband. I was burden with guilt and shame and convinced that I could fix the situation on my own without him ever knowing. If I was going to be out of town, I feared the thought of him getting the mail and exposing my mismanagement of money. I thought he would deem me as a failure and be very angry with me.

God sent a man by the name of Nathan to confront David with his sin in 2 Samuel 12:1-14. When David was confronted he exploded in anger, but evidently confessed his sin to Nathan AND to God. What happen next is explained in Psalm 32:1 - 2, 5.

Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be— you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean. Count yourself lucky— God holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him. Then I let it all out; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God." Suddenly the pressure was gone—my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.

Can't you feel the weight lifted off of David's shoulders? The pressure was gone and my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.

Well, like David I was confronted by my husband one evening and I of course denied the accusations only later to realize that he indeed knew the truth. Although angry because I hid it from him, he graciously forgave me and we are currently on a path to financial freedom. Freedom from the bondage of debt! Since we have become better stewards of our money, God has blessed us and we in turn are able to give back generously to God's kingdom and it feels so good! The pressure was gone, my guilt dissolved and my sin disappeared! To think I walked around for years hiding my sin and carrying such a heavy load.




No matter how bad things get,
God can bring YOUR life under control once again AND it feels so good!

Blessings,

Jill